SOME 
PRINCIPLES 
OF  TEACHING 

AS  APPLIED  TO 

THE 

suNdayschool 

EDGAR  W.  KNIGHT.  A  MPuT). 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF 
TEACHING 

AS   APPLIED  TO  THE 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF 
TEACHING 


AS  APPLIED  TO  THE 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL 


vrti-*  i6  191? 


BY 


"^oeicALsy^ 


EDGAR  W.  KNIGHT,  A.M.,  Ph.D. 

Assistant  Professor  of  Education,  Trinity  College  (North  Carolina) 
With  an  Introduction  by 

PROFESSOR  FRANKLIN  N.  PARKER,  D.D. 

Professor  of  Biblical  Literature,  Trinity  College 


THE  PILGRIM  PRESS 

Boston  New  York  Chicago 


Copyright  1915 

By  the  congregational  SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
AND  PUBLISHING  SOCIETY 


THE    PILGRIM    PRZ68 
BOSTOH 


PREFACE 

One  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  of  improvement  in  the 
work  of  the  Sunday-school  is  the  noticeable  increase  in 
recent  years  in  books  and  pamphlets  on  the  training 
of  Sunday-school  teachers.  The  scope  of  work  which 
is  now  regarded  as  essential  for  teachers  in  the  Sunday- 
school  has  gradually  enlarged.  Knowledge  of  the 
Bible  alone  is  no  longer  regarded  as  the  only  qualifi- 
cation for  those  who  instruct  the  youth  of  the  church 
in  morals  and  religion.  Not  only  must  they  be  familiar 
with  the  Scriptures,  the  subject-matter  to  be  taught, 
but  Sunday-school  teachers  should  also  be  familiar 
with  the  best  and  most  practicable  principles  of  teach- 
ing and  with  certain  facts  about  child  life  and  child 
development.  A  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Bible, 
and  how  to  teach  it,  and  a  familiarity  with  pedagogy  and 
with  child  psychology,  are  some  of  the  needs  of  the 
teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  today. 

This  little  book  is  the  result  of  some  work  which 
the  author  did,  as  leader  of  a  training  class  of  Sunday- 
school  teachers  in  Durham,  North  Carolina,  in  the 
winter  and  spring  of  1914,  and  was  suggested  by  an 
outline  prepared  for  the  New  York  Sunday-school 
Association  by  Professor  George  A.  Coe,  of  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  New  York  City.  The  book  is 
meant  to  be  a  practical  aid  to  those  who  have  had  little 
or  no  opportunity  to  acquaint  themselves  with  certain 
principles  of  teaching  and  certain  facts  of  child  psy- 
chology which  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  Sunday- 
school   teaching.    The   author   believes   that   any   in- 

[v] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF   TEACHING 

telligent  man  or  woman,  of  consecration,  industry, 
and  average  ability  will  find  suggestions  here  which, 
if  followed,  will  eventually  improve  his  or  her  work 
in  the  Sunday-school.  The  book  lays  no  claim  to 
being  anything  more  than  suggestive  of  what  may  be 
done  for  this  great  ally  and  support  of  the  church; 
and  it  is  given  to  Sunday-school  teachers  in  the  hope 
that  it  may  be  of  some  practical  service  in  their  work. 

E.    w.    K. 
Trinity  College, 
Durham,  North  Carolina, 
September,  1914. 


VI 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Preface v 

Introduction ix 

I.     Historical 1 

II.     The  Need  FOR  Trained  Teachers 16 

III.  Successful  Sunday-school  Teaching.  26 

IV.  The     Qualifications     and     Prepara- 

tion OF  THE  Teacher 40 

V.     Planning  the  Lesson 59 

VI.     Teaching  the  Lesson 68 

VII.     Attention  and  Interest 88 

VIII.     The  Art  OF  Questioning 107 

IX.     Using  the  Pupil's  Memory 118 

X.     The  Teacher's  Personality •  136 

XI.     Jesus  as  a  Teacher 146 


vii 


INTRODUCTION 

Since  the  inauguration  of  the  International  Lesson 
System  for  Sunday-schools,  the  Sunday-school  move- 
ment has  taken  on  larger  and  larger  proportions.  The 
fact  that  a  very  large  percentage  of  church  members 
comes  from  the  Sunday-school  has  emphasized  the 
importance  of  that  branch  of  the  church's  activity. 
Modern  study  of  the  child  and  the  adolescent  has 
confirmed  with  startling  emphasis  the  fact  that  these 
stages  are  of  crucial  importance  in  determining  the 
moral  and  spiritual  character  of  the  future  man  and 
woman.  The  development  of  the  common  school, 
especially  along  the  lines  of  scientific  pedagogy,  has 
had  a  marked  reflex  influence  upon  Sunday-school 
practice. 

Increased  knowledge  of  need  and  of  opportunity  has 
increased  responsibility.  The  matter  of  efficiency  in 
doing  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  has  become  a  live 
question.  On  all  hands  it  is  admitted  that  the  vital 
thing  in  any  school  is  the  teacher.  It  is  often  difficult 
to  get  teachers  at  all,  and  still  more  difficult  to  get 
competent  ones.  Many  who  do  volunteer  are  pain- 
fully conscious  of  their  incompetence. 

This  book  has  been  prepared  specifically  to  meet  the 
need  for  trained  teachers.  The  author,  Dr.  Edgar  W. 
Knight,  of  the  Department  of  Education  in  Trinity 
College,  is  a  specialist  in  the  history  and  science  of 
education,  and  is  personally  deeply  interested  in  the 
work  of  teacher-training  for  Sunday-schools.  I  have 
examined  the  book  with  pleasure  and  found  it  both 

[ix] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

stimulating  and  suggestive.  It  is  not  merely  theo- 
retical; it  is  a  workable  book,  and  one  that  can  be  used 
in  teacher-training  classes  or  by  individual  workers. 
A  specially  valuable  feature  is  the  list  of  questions  and 
subjects  for  investigation  appended  to  each  chapter. 

Franklin  N.  Parker. 
Trinity  College, 
Durham,  North  Carolina, 
September,  1914. 


W 


CHAPTER  I 

Historical^ 

Religious  Education  Found  among  All  Peoples 

A  historical  study  of  religious  and  moral  education 
shows  that  some  form  of  religious  education  is  found 
among  all  peoples,  whether  primitive  or  civilized.  It 
is  found  in  the  earliest  history  of  Egypt,  when  the 
priest  class  was  dominant;  it  is  found  among  the 
Assyrians,  the  Indians,  and  the  Chinese,  and  among 
the  educational  ideals  of  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans. 
Early  Hebrew  life  well  illustrates  the  purposes  and  uses 
of  religious  education.  Even  during  the  nomadic 
period  in  the  development  of  this  people,  when  the 
patriarch  gathered  his  household  around  him  for  the 
purpose  of  religious  instruction,  a  great  importance 
was  attached  to  this  form  of  education.  Religious 
education  began  at  the  father's  knee  and  formed  one 
of  the  best  examples  of  the  earliest  and  most  effective 
moral  and  religious  teaching.     Note  the  following:^ 

"  For  I  know  him  [Abraham],  that  he  will  command  his 
children  and  his  household  after  him,  and  that  they  shall 
keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do  justice  and  judgment,  that 
the  Lord  may  bring  upon  Abraham  that  which  he  hath 
spoken  of  him." 

And  the  following  exhortation  to  obedience  suggests 
a  custom  which  helps  to  explain  the  religious  character 

^  This  brief  discussion  of  the  historical  development  of  the  Sunday- 
school  movement  is  based  largely  on  Cope's  excellent  study  of  the 
same  subject,  The  Evolution  of  the  Sunday-school,  published  by 
The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston,  and  on  other  books  referred  to  in  this 
chapter. 

2  Genesis  18':  19. 

[1] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

of  the  Hebrew  race,  and  how  the  law  became  such  a 
guiding  force  in  all  phases  of  their  life:^ 

"  And  thou  shalt  teach  them  [the  words  of  the  law]  dili- 
gently to  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of  them  when  thou 
sittest  in  thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way, 
and  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  riseth  up.  And 
thou  shalt  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  thine  hand,  and  they 
shall  be  as  frontlets  between  thine  eyes.  And  thou  shalt 
write  them  upon  the  posts  of  thy  house,  and  on  thy  gates." 

All  the  way  from  the  prominence  of  the  Hebrew 
scribe  and  interpreter  of  the  law,  through  the  beginnings 
and  the  development  of  the  synagogue,  where  the  law 
was  read  and  explained  at  stated  times,  certain  features 
of  religious  education  and  its  methods  may  be  traced. 
Instruction  in  the  synagogue  may  not  have  been 
altogether  verbal  or  similar  to  the  instruction  found  in 
our  Bible  schools  and  other  forms  of  religious  education 
today;  but  it  is  important  for  Sunday-school  workers 
to  know  that  the  synagogue  became  the  center  of  the 
educational  life  of  those  people  and  that  all  phases  of 
their  life  were,  more  or  less,  religious. 

Early  Sunday-Schools 

It  has  become  customary  and  rather  popular  in 
descriptions  of  the  origin  and  early  development  of  the 
modern  Sunday-school  movement  to  begin  with  these 
early  peoples,  the  Egyptians,  the  Assyrians,  the 
Hebrews,  and  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  Attempts 
have  been  made  to  trace  certain  features  of  the  modern 
Sunday-school  from  them  through  the  early  monastic 
practices  and  customs,  and  through  the  practices  of 
the  early  Christian  Church.  Such  passages  as  those 
cited  above  are  frequently  given  as  proof  that  the 
Sunday-school,  in  its  essentials,  goes    back  to  these 

*  Deuteronomy  6  : 7-9. 

[2] 


HISTORICAL 

early  patriarchal  days  or  to  even  earlier  times.  These 
injunctions,  however,  do  not  describe  the  Sunday- 
school,  but  rather  indicate,  the  "normal  educational 
activities  which  were  usually  religious  either  in  content 
of  study  or  in  intent."  The  Sunday-school  as  we 
know  it  is  a  special  institution,  connected  with  and 
fostered  by  individual  churcheS',  and  designed  to  give 
systematic  and  regular  instruction  in  morals  and 
religion,  a  part  of  training  for  which  public  educational 
agencies  make  little  or  no  provision.  It  may  be  defined 
as  "  an  institution  organized  by  a  religious  body  for  the 
education  of  youth  in  the  religious  life  and  holding 
its  principal  periods  of  instruction  on  the  day  of  rest." 
It  is  an  outgrowth  of  the  period  of  popular  education 
when  a  new  attention  was  given  to  child  life  and  child 
needs,  near  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century.  In 
this  respect  it  is  something  of  a  modern  institution. 

Robert  Raikes  Not  the  Founder 

In  the  early  history  of  the  Sunday-school,  Robert 
Raikes,  who  is  sometimes  called  the  "father  of  the 
Sunday-school,"  is  a  most  prominent  figure,  and  marks 
a  very  advanced  stage  in  the  development  of  religious 
education.  Raikes,  however,  is  not  altogether  en- 
titled to  the  distinction  which  he  has  enjoyed.  Men 
like  Erasmus,  Luther,  Francis  Xavier,  Carlo  Borromeo, 
Count  Zinzendorf,  and  others  emphasized  religious 
education  in  their  teachings,  and  in  a  form  similar  to 
that  which  Raikes  himself  advocated,  and  some  of 
them  as  early  as  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries. 
Several  years  before  Raikes'  interest  in  work  of  this 
kind  began.  Miss  Hannah  Ball  was  working  in  England 
in  the  interest  of  religious  education.  She  organized 
children  into  groups  and  taught  them  the  Bible  and 
catechism  immediately  before  the  church  service  on 

[3] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

Sunday  morning.  And  the  work  of  John  Frederick 
Oberlin,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
is  similar  to  that  done  by  Miss  Ball.  It  seems  safe  to 
say,  therefore,  that  Raikes  "Neither  invented  the 
religious  instruction  of  children  nor  originated  the 
present  day  Sunday-school,  ..."  Moreover,  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  the  schools  which  Raikes 
founded  and  encouraged  and  those  which  flourished 
under  his  influence  were  very  unlike  present  day  Sun- 
day-schools. They  were,  first  of  all,  designed  and 
intended  for  poor  people  who  had  no  other  educational 
opportunity;  and  so  exclusive  was  their  attention  to 
the  poor  and  destitute  that  they  soon  came  to  be 
called  the  "ragged  schools."  They  attempted  to 
teach  reading  and  writing,  and  in  some  instances, 
probably,  the  elements  of  arithmetic  were  taught. 
They  were  entirely  separate  from  the  church  and  met 
with  more  or  less  opposition  from  the  clergy,  and  were 
maintained  largely  as  private  enterprises  and  regarded 
as  charitable  efi"orts  at  general  education.  Not  until 
after  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  were  they, 
in  England,  regarded  as  an  integral  part  of  the  church 
organization  and  equipment.  Compare  this  descrip- 
tion with  a  description  of  the  modern  Sunday-school. 
The  latter  is  open  to  all  alike,  rich  and  poor,  young  and 
old,  learned  and  ignorant.  It  emphasizes  the  teaching 
of  the  Bible,  religion  and  morals.  It  is  a  vital  part  of 
the  organization  of  the  church,  and  is  fostered  entirely 
by  the  church. 

The  Work  of  Raikes 

Robert  Raikes  was  born  in  Gloucester,  England,  in 
1736.  He  received  a  fairly  good  education,  lived  in 
comfortable  circumstances,  and  early  interested  himself 
in  philanthropic  efforts.     He  was  a  "practical-minded 

[4] 


HISTORICAL 

Christian."  His  interest  in  the  poor  children  in  the 
pin  factories  of  Gloucester  led  him  to  establish  schools 
for  their  training  in  reading,  writing,  and  elementary 
arithmetic,  the  Bible  and  the  catechism,  and  religious 
truths.  The  children  came  to  his  schools  "soon  after 
ten  in  the  morning  and  stay  until  twelve;  they  were 
then  to  go  home  and  stay  till  one;  and  after  reading  a 
lesson  they  were  to  be  conducted  to  church.  After 
church  they  were  to  be  employed  in  repeating  the 
catechism  till  half  past  five,  and  then  to  be  dismissed, 
with  an  injunction  to  go  home  without  making  a 
noise;  and  by  no  means  to  play  in  the  street.'"^  Teach- 
ing in  these  schools  was  at  first  not  voluntary;  the 
teachers  were  paid  for  their  services.  Mr.  Raikes 
"inquired  if  there  were  any  decent,  well-disposed 
women  in  the  neighborhood  who  kept  schools  for 
teaching  to  read.  I  presently  was  directed  to  four: 
to  those  I  applied  and  made  an  agreement  with  them 
to  receive  as  many  children  as  I  should  send  them  upon 
the  Sundays,  whom  they  were  to  instruct  in  reading 
and  the  Church  Catechism.  For  this  I  engaged  to 
pay  them  each  a  shilling  for  their  day's  employment.'*^ 
Later  on,  however,  voluntary  teachers  were  secured. 
It  is  said  that  "ladies  of  fashion  undertook  the  work 
of  Sunday-school  teaching."  Certain  it  is  that  the 
work  which  Raikes  was  doing  was  received  with  some 
favor  and  the  impetus  which  he  gave  the  movement 
caused  it  to  expand  and  to  extend  its  influence.  At 
the  time  of  his  death,  there  were  many  schools  in 
England  which  were  doing  work  similar  to  that  which 
Raikes  was  doing.  Raikes  was  much  in  earnest  and 
seemed  "swayed  with  passion  for  the  children";  and 

^Turner's  Sunday  School  Recommended  (Appendix),  p.  41.     See 
also  Trumbull's  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday  School,  p.  110. 
2  From  the  Gentleman's  Magazine;  quoted  in  Trumbull,  p.  110, 

[5] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

his  interest  in  the  work  hastened  the  development  of 
wholesome  opinion  on  the  subject  of  public  education. 
It  is  true  that  the  Sunday-school  movement  has  a 
distinct  place  in  the  history  of  English  public  education. 
Green^  specifically  says:  "The  Sunday-Schools  estab- 
lished by  Mr.  Raikes  were  the  beginnings  of  popular 
education."  Raikes  was  "a  prophet  of  the  modern 
system  of  public  education,  and  the  school  on  Sunday 
was  the  first  expression  of  his  vision." 

The  Beginnings  in  the  United  States 

Sunday-school  work  began  in  this  country  near  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  when  Raikes'  plan  was 
brought  to  America.  Here,  however,  two  conditions 
were  found  in  striking  contrast  to  the  conditions  which 
surrounded  the  movement  in  England.  First,  the 
opportunities  and  facilities  for  general  elementary 
education  were,  even  at  that  early  time,  more  extensive 
in  the  United  States  than  in  England,  and  there  was 
less  need  for  separate  schools  for  the  poor  and  destitute 
children.  Second,  the  feeling  which  some  of  the 
churches  had  against  the  Sunday-school  movement 
perhaps  "increased  the  sense  of  responsibility  on  the 
part  of  the  churches  and  helped  to  bring  about  a  dis- 
tinctive type  of  organization  in  the  United  States, 
namely,  Sunday-schools  created  and  maintained  by 
the  churches  as  well  as  meeting  in  church  buildings. "^ 
But  little  is  known  about  the  earlier  Sunday-schools 
in  this  country.  Bishop  Asbury,  it  appears,  estab- 
lished one  in  Virginia  as  early  as  1786,  but  little  is 
known  of  the  school  except  its  beginning.  A  Methodist 
Conference  in  session  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
in  1790,  ordered  the  establishment  of  Sunday-schools, 

»  Short  History  of  the  English  People,  Vol.  II,  p.  359. 

■^ ^Cyclopedia  of  Education,  Vol.  V.    Article,  "^unday-^choqU.'* 

.[6J 


HISTORICAL 

in  or  near  the  church  or  place  of  worship,  and  provision 
was  to  be  made  for  securing  persons  "to  teach  gratis 
all  who  will  attend  and  have  capacity  to  learn,  from 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  ten,  and  from  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  till  six,  when  it  does  not  interfere 
with  public  worship."  However,  "No  record  is  found 
of  Sunday-schools  organized  in  consequence  of  this 
minute."^  In  December  of  the  same  year  a  meeting 
was  called  in  Philadelphia  to  consider  the  importance 
of  the  Sunday-school  work,  and  the  result  was  the 
formation,  early  in  January,  1791,  of  "The  First- 
Day  or  Sunday-school  Society."  One  of  its  principal 
purposes  was  to  secure  religious  instruction  for  the 
poor  children  of  the  city.  The  organization  is  another 
proof  of  the  missionary  spirit  which  was  so  much  in 
evidence  in  all  Christendom  during  this  period.  A 
Sunday-school  was  begun  in  Boston  in  1791,  one  in 
New  York  in  1793,  one  in  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  in 
1794,  one  in  Pawtucket,  Rhode  Island,  in  1797,  and  in 
1800  one  was  begun  in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania.  In 
the  year  1803  and  the  years  immediately  following, 
several  schools  were  started  in  New  York  City  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Divie  Bethune;  in  1803  one  was  started  in 
Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and  in  1804  one  was 
started  in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  Systematic  efforts 
in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  resulted  in  an  organization 
for  Sunday-school  work  which  seems  to  have  been 
successful;  and  in  1811  a  new  impetus  was  given  the 
movement  in  Philadelphia.  A  local  organization  for 
combining  efforts  in  Sunday-school  work  was  formed 
in  New  York  in  1816,  and  a  similar  organization  was 
formed  in  Boston  the  same  year,  and  one  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1817.     From  these  Sunday-school  "unions" 

^Trumbull,  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday-school, p. \23\  also  Brown, 
Sunday  School  Movements  in  America,  p.  23.. 

m 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

grew  the  American  Sunday-school  Union,  which  was 
organized  in  1824.  This  organization  gave  attention 
to  the  pubHcation  of  Sunday-school  literature,  the 
selection  of  scriptural  lesson  materials,  and  the  planting 
of  schools  in  communities  where  they  were  needed. 
In  1832  Cincinnati  was  made  the  headquarters  of  this 
organization,  and  a  systematic  campaign  for  planning 
schools  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  began.  In  two 
years,  more  than  twenty-eight  hundred  schools  were 
established  in  that  region.^ 

Adoption  by  the  Church 

It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that,  in  England 
particularly,  there  was  opposition,  on  the  part  of  the 
church  and  the  clergy,  to  the  Sunday-school  move- 
ment. There  was  first  of  all,  objection  to  educational 
activities  on  the  Sabbath;  and  any  effort,  outside  the 
church,  to  carry  on  any  form  of  religious  education, 
the  clergy  regarded  as  an  invasion  of  their  rights. 
But  the  church  soon  became  interested  in  the  move- 
ment in  this  country,  adopted  the  Sunday-school,  and 
recognized  it  as  a  vital  agency  for  training  the  youth 
of  the  church.  This  marks  a  great  advance  in  the 
development  of  the  Sunday-school;  it  has  been  called 
the  "American  Sunday-school  Idea.  It  meant  that 
this  school  became,  not  a  temporary  expedient  to 
rescue  poor  and  ignorant  children,  but  a  permanent 
institution,  discharging  a  definite  function  in  the  life 
of  the  church.  .  .  The  school  met  a  real  need  in  the 
life  of  the  church,  —  the  need  of  a  specific  agency  or 
form  of  organization  for  the  nurture  of  the  young  in 
the  religious  life.  It  also  became  a  definite  department 
of  the  church,  suited  to  the  life  and  needs  of  the  child." 

1  Trumbull,  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday-school^  p.  123. 

[8] 


HISTORICAL 

Denominational  Development 

The  Methodist  Church  has  been  given  credit  for 
being  the  first  denomination  to  recognize  the  import- 
ance of,  and  to  make  official  provision  for,  Sunday- 
school  work.  As  early  as  1824,  the  General  Conference 
of  that  denomination  passed  resolutions  providing  for 
Sunday-schools  and  for  teaching  the  catechism  in 
them.  Three  years  later  the  Church  organized  a 
Sunday-school  Union  which,  after  1840  and  until  the 
present  time,  has  had  a  very  successful  and  efficient 
career.  In  recent  years  "it  has  led  in  the  campaign 
for  the  effective  gradation  of  Sunday-school  material 
and  for  all  that  has  made  for  the  thorough  adoption 
of  educational  methods  in  the  schools."  A  Sunday- 
school  Society  was  organized  by  the  Unitarians  in  1827 
which  has  had  a  useful  life.  In  1830  the  Lutheran 
Church  organized  a  Sunday-school  Union.  The  work 
of  the  Congregational  Church  in  developing  Sunday- 
school  interests  became  very  active  in  1832.  The 
Baptists  early  recognized  the  importance  of  Sunday- 
school  work  and  "were  the  pioneers  in  the  preparation 
of  advanced  texts  for  teachers."  They  have  also  been 
very  active  in  promoting  the  training  of  teachers  for 
work  in  the  Sunday-school.  The  Presbyterians  have 
always  been  interested  in  the  Sunday-school  movement 
and  have  actively  promoted  the  educational  interests 
of  the  church.  The  Episcopalians  have  also  developed 
considerable  interest  in  this  phase  of  church  work. 
In  fact  all  of  the  greater  Protestant  denominations  now 
regard  the  Sunday-school  as  a  vital  part  of  the  organi- 
zation and  work  of  the  church.  In  recent  years 
especially,  nearly  all  the  churches  are  turning  attention 
to  the  educational  part  of  their  work,  for  which  they 
recognize  the  need  of  trained  experts.  And  the  har- 
mony that  exists  in  the  combined  efforts  of  the  various 

[9] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

denominations,  as  shown  by  the  International  Sunday- 
school  Association,  is  a  most  encouraging  sign. 

Some  Suggestions  of  Its  Growth 

This  brief  description  of  the  origin  and  early  de- 
velopment of  the  Sunday-school  movement  is  intended 
merely  as  a  guide  to  those  teachers  who  should  like  to 
pursue  a  study  of  it  more  in  detail.  It  is  meant  to  be 
suggestive  rather  than  exhaustive.  It  does  serve  to 
show,  however,  that  the  Sunday-school  has  had  a 
steady  growth;  and  a  consideration  of  present  day 
interests  in  Sunday-school  work  and  religious  education 
in  general  suggests  possibilities  of  this  great  agency  of 
the  church  which  have  not  yet  been  realized.  A  more 
detailed  description  of  the  movement  cannot  be  under- 
taken here.  Enough  has  been  given  to  show  how  the 
Sunday-school  has  grown  from  a  more  or  less  sporadic, 
unorganized  institution,  operating  independently  of 
the  church,  to  a  highly  organized  institution  connected 
with  the  church  and  forming  one  of  the  most  important 
parts  of  its  organization.  It  also  shows  marvelous 
internal  developments:  formerly  the  children  were 
grouped  together  without  reference  to  their  age,  their 
sex,  their  previous  training  or  capacities,  or  any  of 
those  factors  which  so  effectively  condition  the  teaching 
and  training  processes  in  the  public  schools.  Today 
the  children  are  grouped  in  graded  classes;  and  if  the 
Sunday-school  is  well  organized  and  properly  managed, 
all  the  factors  which  have  to  do  with  successful  teach- 
ing in  the  Sunday-school  are  carefully  considered. 
Formerly,  the  Sunday-school  was  regarded  as  a 
charitable  attempt  at  general  elementary  education 
for  the  poor  and  destitute  children;  attention  was 
given  to  reading,  writing,  and  probably  to  some 
arithmetic.     Today  emphasis  is  placed  on  moral  and 

[10] 


HISTORICAL 

religious  instruction  alone,  with  the  Bible  as  the 
principal  textbook.  This  steady  development  in  the 
United  States  is  said  to  be  due  to: 

1.  The  adoption  of  the  Sunday-school  by  the 
church  and  the  church's  recognition  of  it  as  a  vital 
part  of  its  organization,  and  the  decreasing  attention 
paid  to  religious  education  by  public  educational 
agencies. 

2.  The  voluntary-teaching  policy  which  has  pre- 
vailed in  the  United  States.  Unpaid  workers  in  the 
Sunday-school  seem  more  normal  to  the  general  life 
of  the  American  people. 

3.  The  increasing  need  for  a  more  efficient  organi- 
zation and  for  better  trained  workers.  The  Sunday- 
school  has  been  severely  criticized  for  its  loose  edu- 
cational methods,  and  its  organization  and  manage- 
ment. "Its  peculiar  function  in  the  United  States, 
especially  its  unusual  position  as  a  voluntary  institution 
brought  about  a  higher  type  of  efficiency  and  a  closer 
approximation,  markedly  in  recent  years,  to  edu- 
cational ideals."^ 

Some  Suggestions  of  Further  Improvement 

In  spite  of  its  steady  growth  in  organization  and  its 
advancement  to  a  real  place  in  the  life  of  the  church, 
the  Sunday-school  needs  to  make  certain  reforms  and 
improvements  in  its  curriculum,  its  methods,  and  in 
other  features  of  its  work. 

1.  The  curriculum  has  grown  and  developed  very 
slowly.  In  addition  to  the  original  subject  matter 
taught  in  the  Sunday-school,  occasional  lessons  on 
temperance  and  similar  subjects  have  been  introduced, 
and  missionary  lessons  have  now  and  then  been 
brought  in  also.  But  it  was  not  until  1908  that  the 
*  Cyclopedia  of  Education,  Vol.  V.    Article,  "Sunday-schools." 

[11] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

International  Sunday-school  Association  gave  its 
lesson  committee  authority  to  prepare  a  graded  course 
of  lessons  for  use  in  the  Sunday-schools  throughout 
the  country.  Before  this  was  done,  however,  many 
schools  had  adopted  graded  lessons  of  their  own. 
The  Religious  Education  Association,  an  organization 
which  was  formed  in  1903,  seems  to  have  had  consider- 
able influence  in  getting  the  International  Sunday- 
school  Association  to  take  this  important  and  advanced 
step.  More  attention  is  needed  today  in  this  direction. 
The  lesson  material  needs  to  be  so  graded,  arranged 
and  adapted  to  the  varying  needs,  interests  and 
capacities  of  the  children  in  the  Sunday-school  that  it 
will  more  effectively  promote  their  religious  growth. 
The  present  interests  of  the  child  and  his  religious 
capacities  must  control  the  course  of  study  used  in 
the  Sunday-school.  The  pupils  must  be  graded,  and 
the  course  of  study  must  be  graded  to  fit  their  needs 
and  capacities. 

2.  More  attention  must  be  given  to  teacher-train- 
ing. Just  as  no  sound  progress  can  be  had  in  secular 
education  without  trained  and  well  equipped  teachers, 
religious  education  cannot  longer  afford  to  be  left  to 
chance  method.  It  cannot  go  forward  except  by  those 
who  are  trained  in  sound  educational  theory  and  other- 
wise qualified  to  guide  practice  in  religious  educational 
work.  Moreover,  religion  should  be  given  advantage 
of  these  essential  principles  which  have  so  much 
increased  the  efficiency  of  nearly  every  phase  of  our 
public  educational  agencies.  The  Sunday-school  can- 
not afford  to  neglect  the  aid  that  is  sure  to  come  from 
knowledge  and  practice  of  the  best  educational  theory 
of  the  day. 

3.  Some  reforms  are  also  needed  in  the  matter  of 
financial  support  of  the  Sunday-school.     The  method 

[12] 


HISTORICAL 

of  supporting  the  Sunday-school  by  soliciting  con- 
tributions from  the  children  every  Sunday  is  being 
objected  to  from  many  quarters.  The  children  should 
indeed  be  early  taught  the  valuable  lesson  of  giving. 
But  they  should  be  taught  what  they  are  giving  for. 
The  Sunday-school  should  be  a  "church  school,"  and 
included  in  the  regular  running  expenses  of  the  church. 
The  church  must  learn  to  spend  more  money  on  this 
phase  of  its  work,  in  equipment,  libraries  for  teachers 
and  pupils,  and  in  otherwise  providing  for  facilities 
for  greater  service  to  the  church  and  the  community. 
The  Sunday-school  is  a  church  school, —  "it  is 
the  church  engaged  in  certain  of  its  functions  of 
instruction." 

4.  The  teaching  time  should  be  increased.  The 
average  time  given  to  instruction  is  about  thirty  minutes 
a  week.  This  is  entirely  too  brief  a  period  to  be  devoted 
to  such  an  important  subject  as  that  which  is  taught 
in  the  Sunday-school.  At  this  rate  of  teaching,  it 
would  require  a  child  nearly  twenty-five  years  to  com- 
plete the  English,  mathematics,  or  Latin  course  in 
any  well-organized  city  high  school,  or  nearly  fifty 
years  to  do  the  work  in  English  or  mathematics  in  any 
well-organized  city  school  system.  It  has  been 
proposed,  in  order  to  remedy  this  weakness,  that  we 
adopt  the  method  used  in  France,  where  pupils,  whose 
parents  want  them  to  be  placed  under  religious  in- 
struction, are  excused  from  public  schools  on  one 
afternoon  each  week.  Another  suggestion  is  that  the 
time  already  available  for  religious  instruction  on 
Sunday  morning  be  made  more  fruitful  by  adopting 
correct  and  scientific  methods  of  teaching,  by  shorten- 
ing the  opening  and  closing  exercises,  or  by  lengthening 
the  Sunday-school  session.  Sunday-schools  need  not 
expect  the  public  school  authorities,  however,  to  grant 

[13] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

any  such  concessions  as  may  be  had  under  the  French 
system  until  the  churches  are  better  equipped  and 
better  qualified  in  point  of  well  organized  lesson 
material  and  properly  trained  teachers,  for  more 
effective  teaching  service.^ 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Candler,  The  History  of  the  Sunday-school,  Phillips  and 
Hunt,  New  York. 

Coe  and  Cope,  Article  "  Sunday-schools  "  in  Cyclopedia 
of  Education,  edited  by  Paul  Monroe,  The  Macmillan  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Cope,  The  Evolution  of  the  Sunday-school,  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

Cope,  The  Modern  Sunday-school  in  Principle  and  Prac- 
tice, The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Cunnyngham,  The  History  of  the  Sunday-school,  Smith 
and  Lamar,  Nashville. 

Graves,  A  History  of  Education  before  the  Middle  Ages, 
The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Haslett,  The  Pedagogical  Bible  School,  F.  H.  Revell 
Company,  New  York. 

Mead,  Modern  Methods  in  Sunday-school  Work,  Dodd, 
Mead  and  Company,  New  York. 

Monroe,  Textbook  in  the  History  of  Education,  The  Mac- 
millan Company,  New  York. 

Trumbull,  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday-school,  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Exercises 

1.  How  may  a  knowledge  of  the  history  of  the  Sunday- 
school  movement  help  the  Sunday-school  teacher,? 

2.  How  did  the  service  in  the  early  synagogue  resemble  a 
modern  Sunday-school  service.'' 

3.  What  is  the  difference  between  teaching  and  preaching.? 

4.  What  is  the  advantage  of  the  opening  and  closing 
exercises  in  the  Sunday-school.? 

*  Cyclopedia  of  Education,  Vol.  V.     Article,  "  Sunday-schools." 

[14] 


HISTORICAL 

5.  What  were  the  catechetical  schools?  The  catechu- 
menal  schools? 

6.  Why  should  Sunday-school  pupils  be  graded  in  classes 
as  they  are  in  the  public  school? 

7.  What  is  the  advantage  of  the  graded  lesson  materials 
in  the  Sunday-school? 

8.  Make  out  a  year's  course  of  study  in  the  Sunday-school 
for  a  group  of  children  eight  or  ten  years  of  age. 

9.  Give  the  principal  facts  connected  with  the  organiza- 
tion and  development  of  the  International  Sunday-school 
Association. 

10.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  Religious  Education  Associa- 
tion ? 

11.  Give  the  principal  facts  in  the  life  of  Robert  Raikes 
and  his  interest  in  the  Sunday-school. 

12.  Outline  the  development  of  (1)  the  Sunday-school 
curriculum  (course  of  study),  and  (2)  teacher-training  in  the 
Sunday-school. 

13.  How  do  the  Catholics  care  for  the  religious  education 
of  their  youth?  How  do  the  Jews  care  for  the  religious  educa- 
tion of  their  children  ? 

14.  In  what  country  are  Sunday-schools  most  numerous? 
Why? 


[15] 


CHAPTER  II 
The  Need  for  Trained  Teachers 

The  Problem 

The  Sunday-school  has  been  called  the  "noblest 
development  of  the  nineteenth  century."  The  past 
one  hundred  years  have  seen  the  origin  and  develop- 
ment of  more  agencies  for  human  betterment  and 
human  progress  than  any  preceding  centuries  since  the 
Christian  era.  In  the  long  list  of  these  worthy  or- 
ganizations and  institutions  the  modern  Sunday-school 
occupies  imperial  rank,  and  as  an  agency  for  far-reach- 
ing reformation  and  effective  training,  it  has  possi- 
bilities which  have  not  yet  been  realized.  Born  of  a 
movement  which  gave  unusual  attention  to  child  life 
and  child  development,  and  which  has  emphasized  an 
extension  of  elementary  education,  and  encouraged  by 
the  religious  revival, which  found  a  part  of  its  best 
expression  in  the  Wesleyan  movement,  the  Sunday- 
school  has  had  rapid  growth.  But  its  advance  in  a 
career  of  usefulness  is  met  by  the  same  difficulty  which 
has  encountered  and  which  still  encounters  public 
educational  work.  This  difficulty  is  the  task  of 
securing,  training,  and  maintaining  a  body  of  com- 
petent teachers  for  the  work  of  all  departments,  who 
have  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  work  in  which  they 
are  engaged.  In  the  Sunday-school  this  problem  is 
particularly  persistent  and  appears  to  be  growing  more 
difficult. 

How  the  Problem  is  Being  Solved 

This  problem  of  teacher-training  is  being  met  in  two 
ways.     In  some  instances  effort  is  being  made  to  train 

[16] 


NEED   FOR  TRAINED  TEACHERS 

the  teachers;  In  other  cases  professionally  trained 
teachers  in  the  public  schools  are  paid  for  their  services 
in  the  Sunday-schools,  and  it  has  been  predicted  that 
more  churches  will  seek  a  solution  of  the  difficulty  in 
this  direction.  But  most  of  us  are  opposed  to  this 
plan,  and  it  is  useless  to  think  of  abandoning  the 
traditional,  voluntary,  unpaid  teaching  service  in  the 
Sunday-school.  This  voluntary  service  has  its  weak- 
ness, but  it  also  has  its  strength;  and  the  great  need  for 
the  modern  Sunday-school  is  to  train  these  volunteers 
for  teaching  service.  Unless  they  be  trained  properly 
and  speedily,  this  great  part  of  the  church  work  will 
sooner  or  later  lose  its  power  in  the  church,  and  the 
future  will  account  the  work  of  the  present  in  this 
enterprise  a  failure. 

Public  Education  has  Lessons  for  the  Sunday- 
School 

The  Sunday-school  can  learn  much  from  the  ex- 
perience through  which  secular  education  has  passed. 
The  growing  tendency  to  close  and  careful  supervision 
of  instruction  in  our  public  schools;  the  increasing 
activity  for  training  prospective  teachers;  and  the 
attention  that  is  being  given  to  training  and  making 
more  skilful  those  already  in  service,  are  wholesome 
signs,  and  illustrate  a  rapidly  increasing  ideal  for  all 
secular  teachers.  This  same  need  is  intense  in  the 
Sunday-school;  and  the  ideal  is  worthy  of  religious 
instruction  as  well  as  of  secular  education.  Here,  as 
nowhere  else  in  our  entire  educational  scheme,  is  not 
only  an  obvious  lack  of  skilful  teaching,  which  is 
hampering  the  power  and  effect  of  the  Sunday-school, 
but  there  is  evident  a  lack  of  purpose  of  this  form  of 
education,  on  the  part,  too  frequently,  of  pastors, 
officers  and  teachers.     Sometime  ago  a  list  of  questions 

[17] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

on  the  Sunday-school  and  other  organizations  in  the 
church  was  sent  to  one  hundred  pastors  of  churches 
whose  membership  ranged  all  the  way  from  thirty  to 
more  than  twenty-seven  hundred,  representing  ten 
different  Protestant  denominations.  One  of  the  ques- 
tions was:  "What  is  the  main  purpose  of  each  organi- 
zation in  your  church  scheme?" 


Ptirpose  of  Sunday-School  Little  Understood 

The  answers  to  this  question  form  another  basis  for 
the  statement  that  there  is  a  sore  lack  of  purpose  for 
the  various  organizations  of  the  church.  Many  of 
the  pastors  failed  to  answer  the  question;  others  gave 
a  "general  purpose"  for  the  organization  of  their 
churches.  When  interviewed  later,  some  of  these 
pastors  "frankly  admitted  that  they  had  no  definite 
purpose  in  mind,  and  others  seemed  to  search  their 
mind  for  what  they  had  read  from  the  founders  or 
promoters  of  such  movements."  Whatever  the  answer, 
the  majority  of  these  pastors  showed  that  in  too  many 
instances  there  was  no  aim  definite  enough  to  be  easily 
stated.  When  there  is  no  goal  to  be  reached  in  any 
enterprise  or  activity  no  difficulties  appear,  and  success 
of  course  cannot  be  determined  because  there  is  then 
no  measure  of  success. 


The  Real  Purpose 

What  is  the  purpose  of  the  Sunday-school.^  What 
should  it  seek  to  do.^  Whether  we  realize  it  or  not, 
the  Sunday-school  is  the  result  of  a  constantly  growing 
demand  for  some  definite,  organized  form  of  religious 
instruction  and  training.  It  illustrates  the  supreme 
need  for  training  for  right  and  useful  living.     It  is 

[18] 


NEED   FOR  TRAINED  TEACHERS 

rooted  in  the  idea  that  religion  is  growth.  All  Jewish 
history  and  all  New  Testament  ideas  illustrate  this 
truth.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  himself  abounds  in  such 
metaphors  and  comparisons  as  the  increase  of  the 
leaven,  the  gradual  growth  of  the  mustard  seed.  The 
idea  of  growth,  therefore,  should  be  fundamental  to 
all  Sunday-school  teaching.  The  aim  of  this  part  of 
the  church  work  is  spiritual  and  its  one  function  and 
purpose  is  to  develop  intelligent  and  effective  Christian 
lives  and  to  train  intelligent  and  useful  leaders  for  the 
work  of  the  church.  That  church  which  neglects  to 
make  suitable  provision  for  this  very  important  work 
must  necessarily  call  into  service  teachers  and  leaders 
whose  preparation  is  not  equal  to  the  demand  of  the 
duties  which  they  are  to  perform.  This  accounts  for 
the  large  number  of  Sunday-schools  whose  purpose  is 
vague  and  the  still  larger  number  of  Sunday-school 
teachers  who  work  earnestly,  no  doubt,  but  blindly, 
and  whose  aim  is  not  definite. 

How  It  Can  Be  Realized 

The  purpose  of  the  Sunday-school,  however,  can 
never  be  properly  realized  until  the  need  for  trained 
teachers  in  it  has  been  met.  Most  of  the  teachers  and 
officers  who  every  year  enlist  in  Sunday-school  work, 
volunteer  or  are  urged  into  service  with  little  infor- 
mation and  less  training  for  the  peculiar  duties  await- 
ing them  there.  If  we  believe  that  moral  worth  and 
spiritual  growth  depend  on  religious  convictions  and 
ideals,  which  are  the  result  of  training,  the  opportunity 
which  the  Sunday-school  has  today  is  unparalleled  in 
history.  But  this  opportunity  can  never  be  taken 
advantage  of  until  we  have  trained  teachers  to  achieve 
these  possibilities.  There  are  indeed  among  the  men 
and   women   who   work   in    the   Sunday-school   those 

[19] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

whose  earnestness  and  zeal  challenge  favorable  com- 
parison with  workers  in  any  realm.  But  here  as 
nowhere  else,  the  waste  from  inefficiency  is  too  great. 
Most  superintendents  are  very  grateful  to  get  almost 
anybody  to  teach  classes  on  Sundays.  Fully  seventy- 
five  per  cent  of  "our  teachers,"  declared  one  superin- 
tendent, "are  not  the  ones  we  should  choose,  but  we 
must  take  whom  we  can  get."  Teaching  in  the 
Sunday-school  has  too  long  been  regarded  largely  as  a 
matter  of  conscience  and  duty;  and  too  often  it  is 
looked  at  as  a  duty  to  be  assumed  or  neglected  by 
anybody.  Zeal  and  devotion  are  often  taken  as  ability 
to  teach.  These  are  indeed  qualities  which  are  indis- 
pensable in  any  successful  teacher,  but  they  are 
insufficient  in  themselves.  Preparation  and  inspira- 
tion, rather  than  inspiration  alone,  are  needed. 

Inefficient  Teaching 

Inefficient  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school  is,  in  a 
large  measure,  responsible  for  the  prevalent  criticism 
that  this  part  of  the  work  of  the  church  is  losing  ground. 
Three-fourths  of  the  boys  who  enter  the  Sunday-school 
leave  it  before  they  are  eighteen  years  of  age,  and 
practically  everyone  of  them  is  able  to  give  good 
reasons  for  leaving:  "Nothing  vital  in  the  teaching," 
"never  an  inspiration,"  "monotonous,"  "disconnected 
knowledge  of  Bible  stories,"  "they  don't  show  us 
anything  to  do,"  "not  enough  practical  study," 
"nothing  to  do  with  practical  life."  These  and  others 
are  the  reasons  they  give  for  preferring  some  other 
place  to  the  Sunday-school  on  Sunday  morning.  The 
good  teacher,  whether  in  the  church  school  or  secular 
school,  makes  her  teaching  vital  and  inspiring,  and  she 
does  it  at  any  cost;  she  has  never  been  charged  with 
being  monotonous;  she  connects  the  apparently  dis- 

[20] 


NEED   FOR  TRAINED  TEACHERS 

connected  Bible  stones,  and  by  skilful  comparisons  and 
rich  illustrations  makes  biblical  knowledge  real  and 
living;  she  gives  each  child  in  her  group  something  to 
do  and  relates  the  work  of  her  class  to  the  every  day 
life  of  the  children  in  it.  When  all  of  our  Sunday- 
school  teachers  are  able  to  do  these  things,  charges 
against  inefficiency  in  the  instruction  of  the  Sunday- 
school  will  no  longer  be  made,  the  so  called  "teen  age" 
will  be  less  a  problem  there,  attendance  will  increase, 
and  this  part  of  the  work  of  the  church  will  bring  in 
rich  returns. 

The  Problem  Important 

Already  the  church  depends  upon  the  Sunday-school 
for  fully  eighty  per  cent  of  its  membership.  In  many 
cases  the  percentage  is  greater  perhaps.  The  expendi- 
tures for  equipment  and  maintenance  of  the  church 
are  usually  divided  ninety  and  one-half  percent  on 
the  church  and  nine  and  one-half  percent  on  the 
Sunday-school.  Protestantism  needs,  as  never  before, 
to  know  the  importance  of  its  educational  work;  the 
Sunday-school  should  be  made  a  more  vital  part  of 
the  church  organization,  receiving  its  fair  share  of  the 
financial  support.  Definite  and  systematic  plans  for 
training  its  teachers  should  be  provided  and  more 
attention  should  be  given  to  training  leaders  for.  its 
educational  activities.  But  the  zeal  and  devotion  of 
amateurs  on  which  the  church  has  so  long  depended  for 
its  educational  work,  have  resulted  in  a  certain  loss  of 
respect  for  lay  religious  teaching.  The  Sunday-school 
has  come  to  be  regarded  as  an  unimportant  part  of  the 
work  of  the  church;  the  loose  and  easy  methods  of 
the  Sunday-school  have  come  also  to  be  objects  of 
disgust  and  derision;  the  venerable  function  of  the  lay 
religious  teacher  has  fallen  somewhat  into  a  neglect, 

[21] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

a   condition   which   seems   to   threaten   the   very   life 
source  of  much  that  the  church  hopes  to  accomplish. 

The  Problem  Complex 

Where  a  people  are  homogeneous  and  where  religion 
is  not  separated  from  education,  problems  of  religious 
instruction  are  very  simple.  Among  such  a  people 
religion  permeates  all  life.  But  the  separation  of 
religious  and  secular  education  among  us,  and  the 
growing  complex  conditions  in  our  social  life,  have 
thrown  new  responsibilities  on  the  church  and  the 
home,  for  which  neither  is  adequately  prepared. 
There  has  been  a  gradual  transfer  to  the  school  of 
obligations  and  responsibilities  which  were  once 
primarily  lodged  in  the  home.  With  all  these  changes, 
however,  certain  fundamental  issues  have  remained 
unchanged.  The  one  issue  in  society  today,  for 
example,  is  the  moral  issue,  and  we  must  look  to  the 
church  or  Bible  school  to  meet  this.  To  give  moral 
and  religious  instruction  a  new  dignity,  a  new  im- 
portance, and  a  more  vital  aim  is  today  our  most 
urgent  need,  a  need  which  implies  a  new  emphasis  on 
teaching.  To  meet  the  new  demands  which  are  being 
or  will  be  made  on  the  teachers,  provision  must  be 
made  for  properly  training  them.  Then  and  then 
only  will  we  realize  the  possibilities  of  this  new  form  of 
education. 

We  Must  Train  Leaders 

Safe  and  sound  progress  in  religious  education  must 
not  be  left  to  chance  method;  it  must  depend  on  trained 
leadership,  those  who  are  qualified  to  guide  practice. 
Why  not  give  religious  education  the  advantages  of 
those  essential  educational  principles  which  have 
increased  the  efficiency  of  practically  every  form  of 

[22] 


NEED   FOR  TRAINED  TEACHERS 

our  public  educational  system?  Why  should  not 
pastors  and  superintendents  Insist  that  their  teachers 
know  at  least  some  of  the  elementary  principles  of 
teaching?  Why  should  we  In  teaching  the  most 
important  subject  In  the  whole  range  of  our  educational 
scheme,  be  satisfied  with  anything  less  than  the  best 
in  sound  educational  theory?  Why  should  we  as 
Sunday-school  workers  not  use  any  and  all  legitimate 
devices  which  have  been  helpful  in  the  public  schools? 
The  laws  of  pedagogy  and  the  principles  of  teaching 
are  the  same  everywhere,  whether  they  be  applied  to 
the  teaching  of  arithmetic  and  geography,  or  the  story 
of  Samuel,  Daniel  or  the  Good  Samaritan.  Why 
should  not  Sunday-school  teachers  and  officers  know, 
for  example,  something  definite  about  developing  child 
life,  the  child's  native  equipment,  his  impulses,  instincts, 
capacities,  and  all  other  native  tendencies,  so  as  to  use 
these  In  the  teaching  process?  Child  study  has  revo- 
lutionized elementary  teaching  in  public  schools.  The 
"doctrine  of  growth"  should  be  as  heartily  received  in 
one  form  of  education  as  in  another;  and  the  church 
school,  of  all  schools,  can  111  afford  to  refuse  the  aid 
that  the  best  educational  theory  and  practice  of  the 
day  can  give. 

False  Notion  of  Functions  of  Sunday-School 

The  objection  and  indifference  to  systematic  teacher- 
training,  based  on  sound  educational  principles,  are 
based  on  the  violent  assumption  that  the  aim  of  the 
Sunday-school  is  to  impress  and  to  convert  rather  than 
to  Instruct  and  to  train.  This  objection  frequently 
comes  from  unexpected  sources,  —  from  pastors  and 
Sunday-school  workers  who  hold,  with  many  others, 
that  skilful  teaching  Is  less  important  than  "warm 
appeals  to  the  feelings  and  earnest  exhortations"  to  the 

[23] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

of  the  pupils.  Such  appeals  and  exhorta- 
tions have  their  places  in  all  forms  of  education, 
whether  religious  or  secular.  But  there  is  no  basis 
for  the  belief  that  a  study  of  the  principles  of  teaching 
and  their  application  to  religious  education,  will  replace 
warmth  and  enthusiasm  and  feeling  with  coldness  and 
indifference.  The  Sunday-school  teaching,  above  all 
others,  needs  both  skill  and  enthusiasm.  Enthusiasm 
does  not  mean  lack  of  skill  —  in  fact  the  skilled  teacher 
is  often  the  enthusiastic  one — and  skill  never  kills 
enthusiasm  and  warmth  for  the  work.  Give  the 
church  enthusiastic  and  well-trained  men  and  women 
as  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  and  its  progress  will 
be  unprecedented. 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Athearn,  The  Church  School,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Cope,  The  Evolution  of  the  Sunday-school,  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

DuBois,  The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,  Dodd,  Mead 
and  Company,  New  York. 

Hamlll,     Sunday-school      Teacher-training,     Smith     and 
Lamar,  Nashville. 

Haslett,    The    Pedagogical    Bible    School,    F.    H.    Revell 
Company,  New  York. 

McElfresh,  The  Training  of  Sunday-school  Teachers  and 
Officers,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Slattery,  A  Guide  for  Teachers  of  Training  Classes,  The 
Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

The  Sunday-school  Teacher's  Pedagogy,  Griffith  and  Row- 
land Press,  Philadelphia. 

Wells,    the   Teacher   that    Teaches,   The    Pilgrim    Press, 
Boston. 

Exercises 

\.  Why  Is  the  Sunday-school  necessary.'' 
2.  Why    should    teachers    in    the    Sunday-school    have 
special  preparation  for  their  work.-* 

[24] 


NEED   FOR  TRAINED   TEACHERS 

3.  Name  three  laws  of  teaching  which  you  use  in  your 
work  as  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school. 

4.  What  is  the  difference  between  instruction  and  training? 

5.  Is  teaching  an  art  or  a  science? 

6.  How  much  training  have  the  teachers  in  your  school 
had  for  their  work? 

7.  What  is  your  school  doing  to  train  the  teachers  already 
in  service  and  to  equip  promising  young  people  in  the  church 
for  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school?     What  can  it  do? 

8.  How  often  do  the  teachers  in  your  school  hold  teachers' 
meetings  ? 

9.  What  effort  are  you  making  to  improve  your  teaching 
in  the  Sunday-school? 

10.  Does  your  school  have  a  library  for  its  teachers? 


12S] 


CHAPTER  III 
Successful  Sunday-School  Teaching 

Some  Questions  and  Answers 

Suppose  we  begin  a  consideration  of  this  topic  by  a 
few  simple  but  suggestive  questions.  What  is  the 
Sunday-school?  What  is  its  aim?  What  is  a  Sunday- 
school  class?  What  is  its  aim?  What  is  a  Sun- 
day-school lesson?  What  is  its  aim?  When  is  a 
Sunday-school  teacher  successful?  What  is  successful 
Sunday-school  teaching? 

A  group  of  Sunday-school  teachers  in  a  teacher- 
training  class  were  recently  asked  the  following  ques- 
tions: 

1.  How  do  you  know  that  the  class  you  teach  is  a 
successful  one? 

2.  How  can  you  tell  whether  or  not  the  lesson  is 
taught  well  in  your  class? 

3.  What  do  you  regard  as  the  principal  business  of 
the  teacher  of  a  Sunday-school  class? 

Some  of  the  answers  given  to  the  first  question  were: 

"The  interest  which  my  pupils  take  in  my  class  is 
evidence  to  me  that  the  class  is  a  success." 

"The  enthusiasm  which  my  pupils  have  for  the  work 
convinces  me  that  my  class  is  a  successful  one." 

"When  the  indifference  of  my  students  turns  to 
interest  I  consider  my  class  successful." 

"When  the  members  of  my  class  attend  without 
*  enticement'  I  think  the  class  a  success." 

"The  interest  which  my  pupils  take  in  the  discussion 
of  the  lesson  is  usually  a  measure  of  success  in  my 
class." 

[26] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

"When  the  lesson  Is  properly  prepared  and  properly- 
taught  I  regard  my  class  as  a  successful  one." 

These  answers  came  from  teachers  in  a  large  city 
church.  They  were  urged  to  consider  the  questions 
carefully  before  attempting  to  answer  them  so  that 
random  answers  might  be  avoided.  The  instructor 
was  anxious  to  see  what,  in  the  minds  of  most  of  the 
teachers,  constituted  successful  Sunday-school  teach- 
ing. Note  the  answers  given  above,  compare  with 
your  own  idea  of  a  successful  class,  and  then  try  to 
formulate  a  statement  of  the  difference  between 
successful  and  unsuccessful  teaching  in  the  Sunday- 
school.  In  other  words,  what  would  you  mean  if  you 
were  to  say:  "I  have  a  successful  Sunday-school  class?" 
Is  your  idea  of  successful  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school 
different  from  the  ideas  expressed  in  the  answers  above? 

The  second  question,  "How  can  you  tell  whether  or 
not  the  lesson  is  taught  well  in  your  class?"  seemed 
easier  to  answer  than  the  first.  Some  of  the  answers 
are  included  in  the  following: 

"My  class  is  well  taught  when  I  follow  a  plan." 

"My  class  is  well  taught  when  I  have  an  aim  and 
keep  it." 

"My  class  is  well  taught  when  I  have  in  mind  the 
personal  experience  and  interests  of  the  members  of 
the  class  and  try  to  adapt  the  lesson  to  their  individual 
needs." 

"I  know  the  lesson  is  being  taught  well  when  every 
member  of  the  class  is  interested  in  the  lesson."  (Note 
this  answer  carefully.  What  did  this  teacher  probably 
mean  by  being  "interested  in  the  lesson"?) 

"The  lesson  is  well  taught  when  I  can  hold  the 
attention  of  the  class."  (Note  this  also.  How  can  a 
teacher  tell  when  she  is  holding  the  attention  of  the 
class?) 

[27] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

*'I  consider  the  lesson  taughtwellwhentheboys discuss 
the  questions  spontaneously  and  ask  questions  freely." 

One  teacher  said  that  the  "interest  of  the  pupils, 
the  questions  they  ask,  and  their  discussions"  were 
signs  to  her  that  she  was  teaching  the  lesson  well. 

Another  teacher  stated  that  "the  response  of  a  pupil 
who  is  well  taught  can  be  felt  rather  than  described. 
I  do  not  always  get  this  response;  when  I  do,  it  is  the 
greatest  inspiration  to  work  harder  for  it  next  time." 
(Note  this  answer.  What  did  the  teacher  mean  by 
"response".?) 

"I  do  not  think  the  lesson  is  taught  well  when  the 
teacher  does  all  the  talking  and  thinking." 

"The  lesson  is  taught  well  when  the  teacher  knows 
the  lesson  and  the  pupils  are  all  familiar  with  it." 
(What  is  wrong  with  an  answer  such  as  this.?) 

"If  the  lesson  is  being  taught  well,  one  can  tell  that 
the  whole  class  is  pleased  and  benefited."  (What 
mistaken  notions  of  teaching  are  here  implied.?) 

Some  of  the  answers  named  the  following  features 
of  a  Sunday-school  class  and  its  activities  as  evidences 
that  a  class  was  generally  well  taught:  good  attendance, 
good  order,  well-prepared  lessons,  the  questions  which 
the  pupils  ask,  promptness,  increase  in  attendance, 
the  contributions  which  the  pupils  make,  the  interest 
taken  in  sick  and  absent  members,  and  the  desire  to 
help  those  in  need. 

The  answers  to  the  third  question,  that  of  the 
principal  business  of  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school, 
revealed  in  the  main  an  inadequate  notion  of  the 
function  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher.  They  made 
the  business  of  the  teacher  range  all  the  way  from  a 
detail,  such  as  that  of  encouraging  attendance  or  liberal 
contributions,  to  that  of  leading  every  "member  in 
the  class  to  Christ."     The  ultimate  aim  of  all  Sunday- 

[28] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

school  teaching  is,  of  course,  religious  and  moral,  and 
on  the  salvation  of  souls  the  emphasis  of  all  such 
teaching  should  be  placed.  We  are  also  well  agreed 
that  well-prepared  lessons,  prompt  attendance,  interest 
in  worthy  causes,  as  sometimes  shown  by  liberal 
contributions,  are  some  means  to  the  great  end  of  all 
religious  teaching.  All  these  things  should  be  encour- 
aged by  every  teacher.  But  the  failure  to  analyze 
the  real  business  of  the  teacher  of  the  Sunday-school, 
as  the  answers  to  the  third  questions  show,  is  but 
another  evidence  that  too  often  Sunday-school  teachers 
mistake  means  for  ends  in  this  service. 

Note  the  following  answers  to  this  question,  "What 
do  you  regard  as  the  principal  business  of  a  teacher  of 
a  Sunday-school  class.'*": 

"The  business  of  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school 
is  to  encourage  the  pupils  to  study  the  lesson,  to 
attend  class  regularly  and  to  be  prompt." 

"The  business  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher  is  to 
arouse  an  interest  in  spiritual  things." 

"The  business  of  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school 
is  to  pay  personal  attention  to  each  pupil  in  his  class 
and  to  keep  in  touch  with  him." 

"The  business  of  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school 
is  to  encourage  regular  and  systematic  Bible  study." 

"The  business  of  the  teacher  is  to  lead  every  member 
in  his  class  to  Christ." 

"The  principal  business  of  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  is  to  teach  reverence  for  holy  things." 

"To  make  clear  the  truth  of  the  lesson  and  to  adapt 
it  to  the  needs  of  his  pupils,  is  the  principal  business 
of  the  Sunday-school  teacher." 

Indefiniteness  of  the  Teacher^s  Business 

These    quotations    are    sufficient    to    indicate    how 
[29] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

uncertain  we  are  of  our  real  business  as  Sunday-school 
teachers.  Only  one  out  of  more  than  a  score  of  such 
answers  as  those  given  above,  mentioned  the  intelligent 
use  of  the  lesson  material  as  the  principal  business  of 
the  teacher.  Most  of  the  teachers  seemed  not  to 
understand  thoroughly  that  the  business  of  the  teacher 
is  to  help  the  pupils  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
truth  contained  in  the  lesson  and  to  inspire  them  to 
apply  that  truth  to  their  own  actual  living.  This  is 
indeed  a  creditable  ideal  for  all  teachers  in  the  Sunday- 
school  to  have.  The  proper  interpretation  of  the 
lesson  material  and  the  correct  adaptation  of  it  to  the 
needs  of  her  pupils  constitute  the  real  function  of 
every  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school. 

Some  Definitions :  The  Sunday-School 

Now  let  us  turn  to  the  question  asked  at  the  beginning 
of  this  chapter.  First,  What  is  the  Sunday-school.? 
What  is  its  aim? 

Suppose  we  say  that  the  Sunday-school  or  Bible 
school  is  a  church  school,  whose  primary  aim  is  to 
instruct  and  train  for  Christian  maturity.  This 
should  mean  that  the  school  belongs  to  the  church  to 
be  used  for  re-enforcing  and  strengthening  the  church, 
through  additions  to  its  membership  of  intelligent 
religious  leaders  and  workers.  The  aim  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  then,  is  to  instruct  and  to  train  its  members  to 
become  active  Christian  workers  for  the  church  and 
for  the  community.  Instruction  should  be  given  in 
religion  and  morals,  with  the  Bible  as  the  principal 
basis,  and  provision  should  also  be  made  for  actual 
training  in  the  principles  of  Christianity.  Just  how 
much  of  this  training  will  be  furnished  will  depend  in 
large  measure  on  the  earnestness  and  activity  of  the 
teachers  and  on  their  ability  to  make  provision  for  the 

[30] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

pupils  to  apply  the  truth  of  the  lesson  material  to  their 
own  immediate  needs. 

The  Class 

Second,  What  is  the  Sunday-school  class?  A  simple 
definition  of  a  class  for  Bible  study  or  religious  in- 
struction is  a  particular  group  of  pupils,  young  or  old, 
of  a  given  age,  whose  aim  is  to  acquire  biblical  knowl- 
edge and  Christian  ideals  in  a  systematic  and  pro- 
gressive fashion  and  to  put  such  knowledge  and  ideals 
into  practice.  The  class  may  be  young  or  old,  few  or 
many.  But  whatever  its  age  or  number,  its  ideal  aim 
should  be  to  receive  instruction  and  practice  or  training 
in  the  fundamental  issues  of  life. 

The  Lesson 

Third,  What  is  the  Sunday-school  lesson?  The 
Sunday-school  lesson  may  be  defined  as  a  particular 
idea  or  truth.  It  may  be  the  story  of  the  Good 
Samaritan,  the  parable  of  the  talents,  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  or  the  story  of  David  and  Jonathan. 
Whatever  the  story,  whatever  the  idea,  or  the  truth, 
the  ideal  aim  of  the  lesson  is  always  the  intelligent 
solution  of  some  present  practical  problem  of  those  who 
are  being  taught.  The  first  care  of  the  teacher  in  the 
Sunday-school  is  to  apply  the  truth  of  the  lesson  to 
the  needs  of  her  pupils. 

Successful  Teaching 

If  we  accept  the  definitions  given  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  of  the  class,  and  of  the  lesson,  we  may  say  that 
successful  Sunday-school  teaching  is  that  which  applies 
definite  and  practical  ideas  to  the  immediate  solution 

[31] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

of  definite  problems  of  a  particular  group  of  people. 
This  application  should  be  made  in  such  a  way  as  to 
promote  the  growth  and  development  of  the  pupils 
into  useful  and  intelligent  Christian  service.  The 
aim  of  the  Sunday-school  is  to  instruct  and  to  train  for 
Christian  maturity;  and  the  means  which  the  Sunday- 
school  makes  use  of  are  these  particular  ideas  and 
truths  which  we  call  lessons.  Good  attention,  excellent 
attendance,  promptness,  liberal  contributions,  well- 
prepared  lessons,  interest  in  discussions,  the  questions 
asked,  are  all  good  signs,  and  are  seen  in  successful 
classes.  But  they  are  not  alone  measures  of  success 
in  Sunday-school  teaching.  Each  one  may,  too,  be 
explained  by  something  that  is  not  fundamental  to 
good  teaching.  They  are  only  means  to  an  end;  and 
that  end  is  providing  for  some  practical  reaction  on 
the  everyday  duties  of  life  of  the  pupils  who  are  taught. 
Unless  the  teacher  is  making  such  provisions  for  each 
member  of  her  class  she  cannot  be  pronounced  a  suc- 
cessful teacher.  The  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan 
must,  for  example,  mean  to  the  class  more  than  a 
story;  it  must  appear  more  than  a  good  deed  done 
many  years  ago  to  an  unfortunate  traveler.  The 
principle  must  be  brought  to  the  needs  of  each  member 
of  the  class  which  is  studying  it  today. 


The  Teacher's  Knowledge  of  Her  Pupils 

In  order  to  be  successful  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  must  know  a  great  deal  about  her  pupils. 
Before  she  can  adapt  and  apply  the  principles  and  the 
truths  or  ideas  in  the  lessons  to  the  needs  of  her  pupils, 
she  must  know  what  those  needs  are.  If  she  would  be 
successful  she  must  begin  early  to  start  or  to  confirm 
a  habit  of  approaching  every  Sunday-school  problem 

[32] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

from  the  standpoint  of  the  needs  and  interests  of  her 
pupils.  She  must  also  be  familiar  with  the  various 
factors  which  condition  the  teaching  process,  if  she 
would  achieve  as  she  hopes  to  do.  She  should  know 
of  the  Sunday-school  itself,  its  points  of  strength,  its 
places  of  weakness,  and  its  persistent  ideal.  She 
should  know  the  home  life  of  the  children  whom  she 
is  teaching.  But  the  thing  she  should  probably  know 
best  of  all  is  the  child  himself,  his  natural  tendencies, 
impulses,  instincts,  abilities,  and  capacities.  We  are 
just  now  beginning  to  see,  as  never  before,  that  effective 
religious  education  and  moral  training  not  only  has  its 
beginning  in,  but  is  largely  influenced  by,  the  life  of 
the  children  away  from  the  Sunday-school  class-room. 
And  much  of  the  progress  which  is  being  made  in 
Sunday-school  work  is  rightly  attributed  to  a  greater 
sympathy  for  children  which  a  better  understanding  of 
them  has  produced. 

Some  Reasons 

There  are  several  reasons  why  teachers  should  make 
a  special  eifort  to  study  and  understand  children. 

1.  Children  are  first  of  all  very  much  unlike  grown 
people,  and  they  must  therefore  be  dealt  with  differently. 

2.  Grown  people,  as  a  rule,  are  so  far  removed  from 
their  own  youth  that  they  may  be  somewhat  out  of 
sympathy  with  children,  and  the  result  is  a  tendency, 
prevalent  too  often  in  Sunday-school  teaching,  to 
measure  children  by  the  same  standards  by  which 
grown  people  themselves  are  measured. 

3.  There  is  a  traditional  gulf  between  the  teacher 
and  the  pupil,  seen  even  in  the  Sunday-school  where 
free  play  between  them  is  supposed  to  be.  Moreover, 
the  formal  side  of  teaching  seems  to  widen  this  gulf 
and  prevent  a  nearness  of  the  teacher  to  the  child 

[33] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

necessary  for  a  thorough  understanding  of  each  other. 
This  is  an  unwholesome  condition  to  have  in  any 
school,  particularly  the  Sunday-school. 

4.  The  failure  to  understand  children  results  in  a 
failure  to  judge  them  correctly,  which  In  turn  means 
mistakes  In  teaching  and  directing  them. 

5.  A  study  and  knowledge  of  children  are  necessary 
in  order  that  the  teacher  may  so  understand  and 
interpret  their  traits  and  characteristics  that  their 
needs  are  clear  to  her.  This  implies  the  necessity  of 
knowing  how  to  interpret  their  conduct  and  behavior. 

6.  The  teacher's  ignorance  of  child  life  and  child 
development  makes  it  impossible  for  her  to  respect  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  children. 

7.  The  physical  weaknesses  and  defects  of  children 
are  an  Important  subject  of  study  among  secular 
teachers.  Spiritual  and  mental  growth  are  so  de- 
pendent on  physical  health  that  the  teacher  In  the 
Sunday-school  should  know  considerable  about  each 
one  of  her  pupils.  This  means  that  successful  Sunday- 
school  teaching  requires  more  time  than  the  teaching 
period  on  Sunday  calls  for. 

8.  A  knowledge  of  children's  natural  habits,  their 
modes  of  helping  and  Influencing  one  another,  their 
antagonisms,  their  dispositions  and  peculiarities.  Is  a 
valuable  asset  to  any  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school. 

9.  Such  Information  as  is  likely  to  come  to  the 
careful  observer  and  student  of  children  is  absolutely 
necessary  before  the  teacher  In  the  Sunday-school  is 
able  to  do  her  best  work. 

10.  Unless  the  teacher  have  this  Information  and 
knowledge  of  children,  she  cannot  adapt  the  lesson 
material  to  their  needs  and  Interest.  Moreover,  she 
will  be  unable  to  Interpret,  clarify,  and  enlarge  the 
children's  experience  and  to  give  it  meaning. 

[34] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

Learning  Child  Life 

To  know  the  experiences  and  the  native  equipment 
of  those  we  teach  is  not  so  hard  as  would  at  first  appear. 
We  cannot,  to  be  sure,  see  what  goes  on  in  the  minds 
of  the  children;  and  most  of  us  are  so  far  removed  from 
our  own  childhood  that  what  we  remember  of  it  is 
fragmentary  and  distorted.  There  are,  however, 
reliable  and  trustworthy  books  on  the  subject  of  child 
study  which  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  may  study 
with  great  profit.  In  them  the  various  mental  traits 
which  characterize  the  various  stages  of  child  develop- 
ment may  be  learned.  But  this  method  of  learning 
children  and  child  life  is  not  so  workable  as  we  need, 
though  it  is  very  helpful.  Sunday-school  teachers 
need  to  study  the  outward  acts  of  children  and  the 
relations  of  children  in  general;  to  study  as  a  whole 
each  child  in  their  group,  to  know  the  characteristic 
stages  through  which  he  passes  and  relate  his  outside 
life  with  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  and  church. 
The  playground  and  the  home,  and  frequent  conferences 
with  parents,  oflter  favorable  opportunity  for  this  kind 
of  study. 

Child  Needs 

A  knowledge  of  the  child  and  skill  in  using  what 
he  knows  and  what  he  is,  are  necessary  for  eyery 
Sunday-school  teacher.  And  there  is  probably  no 
body  of  men  or  women  anywhere  who  should  be  more 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  child  needs  and  child 
life  than  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school.  Their  work 
is  so  largely  conditioned  by  the  life  of  the  pupils  outside 
the  Sunday-school,  that  an  ignorance  of  the  pupils' 
home  life  and  of  other  facts,  sometimes  makes  work 
in  the  Sunday-school  fruitless.  There  is  a  decided 
tendency  among  Sunday-school  teachers  to  think  of 

[35] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

their  pupils  in  terms  of  their  spiritual  poverty  and  their 
spiritual  needs.  This  tendency  revealed  itself  recently 
in  some  answers  received  from  a  number  of  Sunday- 
school  teachers  who  were  asked  to  report  on  the 
following: 

"1.  The  class  I  teach  is  composed  of  boys  and  girls 
from  —  to  —  years  of  age. 

"  2.     Some  of  their  needs  seem  to  me  to  be ." 

From  the  answers  received  the  following  are  given 
as  representative: 

A  class  of  girls  from  12  to  16  years  of  age  needed 
"Thorough  understanding  of  the  Word  of  God  per- 
sonally applied,"  and  "the  seeds  of  a  life  purpose 
implanted  in  their  hearts." 

A  group  of  boys  from  14  to  20  were  believed  to  need 
a  "Deeper  interest  in  spiritual  things,  a  more  earnest 
desire  to  know  the  Bible,  and  a  more  thorough  con- 
secration to  definite  Christian  service." 

A  number  of  girls  from  1 1  to  14  needed  "  a  deeper  inter- 
est in  spiritual  things,  and  more  feeling  for  one  another." 

A  class  of  boys  from  9  to  12  were  believed  by  their 
teacher  to  need  "More  reverence  and  love  for  the 
church  and  sacred  things,  and  greater  interest  in 
spiritual  things." 

A  class  of  girls  from  6  to  10  were  thought  to  need  a 
"Knowledge  of  God's  word;  deeper  appreciation  of  the 
truths  of  Sabbath  observances." 

A  class  of  boys  from  11  to  13  needed,  according  to 
their  teacher,  "more  sympathy  for  each  other,  and 
more  profound  reverence  for  the  Church." 

A  group  of  boys  from  12  to  13  needed  to  "Study  the 
lesson  more  before  coming  to  class."  And  the  same 
teacher  added:  "A  few  are  not  reasonably  well  edu- 
cated." 

[36] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

This  last  answer  Is  the  only  one  which  suggested 
other  than  spiritual  needs  of  the  various  groups 
described.  Nothing  was  said  about  the  physical  needs 
of  these  young  people,  whether  they  could  see  distinctly, 
hear  clearly,  and  talk  freely  and  intelligently,  or 
whether  they  could  read  and  write.  None  of  the 
teachers  mentioned  the  games  and  amusements  of 
their  pupils,  their  home  environment,  their  occupations, 
their  temptations,  limitations  or  difficulties.  The 
tendency  to  treat  sacred  things  lightly  may  not  always 
be  a  lack  of  reverence  for  sacred  and  holy  things;  it 
would  depend  entirely  on  whether  the  sacredness  and 
the  holiness  of  things  had  been  made  clear  and  were 
thoroughly  understood.  A  teacher  should  indeed 
know  that  this  or  that  boy  treats  sacred  things  lightly; 
but  the  same  teacher  should  know  that  children  whose 
eyesight  is  bad,  or  who  are  hard  of  hearing,  or  whose 
bodies  are  not  properly  fed,  or  whose  home  surroundings 
are  not  wholesome,  cannot  be  ideal  students  in  the 
Sunday-school  any  more  than  they  can  in  the  public 
school.  Why  should  not  a  Sunday-school  teacher 
know  the  forces  of  immorality  which  surround  for  six 
days  in  the  week  the  boys  whom  she  seeks  to  instruct 
in  moral  principles  a  short  time  on  Sunday.^  And  who 
should  know  better  than  a  teacher  that  a  child  who  is 
surrounded  by  unwholesome  conditions  six  days  in 
the  week  cannot  be  alert  and  take  a  lively  interest  in 
spiritual  and  intellectual  things  on  Sunday?  In  such 
a  case  inattention  may  be  called  irreverence  by  the 
teacher  who  could  better  serve  the  needs  of  the  boy 
if  she  knew  him  better.  The  acquaintance  we  get  on 
Sunday  with  the  boys  in  our  class  is  not  sufficient  to 
make  us  successful  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school.  If 
we  are  able  to  teach  at  all  we  will  make  better  teachers 
if  we  know  our  pupils  better. 

137] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

How  to  Consider  the  Child 

After  we  know  the  children  in  our  class  our  duty- 
then  is  to  consider  them  from  the  standpoint  of  their 
interests,  needs,  and  future  conduct.  The  task  of  the 
teacher  is  essentially  in  training  her  pupils  to  behavior, 
"taking  behavior,  not  in  the  narrow  sense  of  his 
manners,"  as  WilHam  James  has  so  well  put  it,  *'but 
in  the  very  widest  possible  sense,  as  including  every 
possible  sort  of  fit  reaction  on  the  circumstances  into 
which  he  may  find  himself  brought  by  the  vicissitudes 
of  life."  Successful  Sunday-school  teaching  then  is 
that  which  so  influences  the  conduct  and  behavior 
(taken  in  the  broad  sense)  of  the  pupils  as  to  train  for 
intelligent  Christian  service.  To  attain  this  success 
teachers  must  not  only  know  the  subject  matter  which 
they  teach,  but  they  must  also  know  the  children  whom 
they  teach,  and  know  them  well.  A  knowledge  of 
children  in  general,  sufficient  to  allow  the  teacher  to 
utilize  their  native  tendencies  in  the  teaching  process, 
and  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  particular  group 
with  which  the  teacher  is  now  working,  will  make  many 
obstacles  in  the  Sunday-school  disappear.  Until  the 
teacher  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  her  pupils  she 
is  not  able  to  plan  the  lesson  properly,  and  to  adapt  it 
to  the  needs  of  her  pupils.  And  until  this  is  done, 
there  can  be  no  success  in  Sunday-school  teaching. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Angus,  Ideals  in  Sunday-school  Teaching,  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

Bagley  and  Colvin,  Human  Behavior,  The  Macmillan 
Company,  New  York. 

Gregory,  The  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,  The  Pilgrim  Press, 
Boston. 

[38] 


SUCCESSFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 

Hamlll,  The  Sunday-school  Teacher,  Smith  and  Lamar, 
Nashville. 

Haslett,  The  Pedagogical  Bible  School,  F.  H.  Revell 
Company,  New  York. 

James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  Henry  Holt  and  Company,  New 
York. 

Kirkpatrick,  The  Fundamentals  of  Child  Study,  The  Mac- 
millan  Company,  New  York. 

St.  John,  Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture,  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

Strayer,  A  Brief  Course  in  the  Teaching  Process,  The 
Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Wells,  Sunday-school  Success,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  The  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

Exercises 

\.  Why  should  a  Sunday-school  teacher  know  child 
life  and  the  characteristic  stages  through  which  children 
pass.? 

2.  What  are  some  of  the  plays  and  games  of  boys  eight 
years  of  age.'* 

3.  How  does  acquaintance  with  the  home  life  of  the  boys 
in  your  class  help  you  in  teaching.'* 

4.  Is  the  responsibility  of  the  Sunday-school  greater  or 
less  than  it  was  twenty-five  years  ago?     Why.'* 

5.  Would  you  advocate  longer  periods  for  teaching  the 
lesson  in  the  Sunday-school.?     Why.? 

6.  What  should  a  Sunday-school  teacher  know  about  a 
group  of  fifteen-year  old  boys  in  order  to  teach  them  suc- 
cessfully.? 

7.  Name  two  important  qualifications  for  a  successful 
teacher  of  girls  fifteen  years  of  age. 

8.  What  evidence  have  you  that  your  class  is  a  successful 
one? 


[39] 


CHAPTER   IV 

The  Qualifications  and  Preparation  of  the 
Teacher 

The  Supply  of  Teachers 

An  Important  idea  of  the  Sunday-school  or  the  Bible 
school  as  an  effective  church  agency  is  that  the  classes 
shall  be  small  enough  to  allow  to  the  members  specific 
individual  attention  by  a  competent,  well-trained 
teacher.  This  feature  of  the  Sunday-school  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  if  results  in  moral  and  religious  training 
are  to  be  had.  Large  classes,  especially  for  young 
children  are,  therefore,  undesirable.  Classes  for  adults 
may  be  larger,  but  for  children,  the  ideal  number  never 
exceeds  eight  or  ten.  The  supply  of  teachers  in  any 
Sunday-school,  therefore,  becomes  an  important  factor 
in  the  work.  And  the  efficient,  alert,  progressive 
superintendent  will  provide  for  an  increase  in  his 
supply  of  teachers  as  his  Sunday-school  membership 
increases. 

A  Pressing  Problem 

The  task  of  securing,  training,  and  maintaining  a 
supply  of  competent  teachers  sufficient  to  this  demand 
is  the  most  persistent  problem  in  all  Sunday-school 
work.  When  we  consider  the  claims  of  the  Sunday- 
school  and  the  varying  needs  of  its  membership,  the 
seriousness  of  this  problem  appears  at  once.  In 
settling  the  question  there  are  many  things  to  be 
considered.  What  are  the  essential  qualifications  of 
the  competent  teacher.^     Who  are  available  for  this 

[40] 


QUALIFICATIONS   AND   PREPARATION 

important  work?  What  method  can  be  used  to  Im- 
prove those  already  in  service?  What  plans  can  be 
made  for  equipping  promising  young  people  within 
reach  of  the  church  for  teaching  service  in  the  Sunday- 
school? 

The  Teacher's  Qualifications 

1.  The  aim  of  all  Sunday-school  teaching  is  spiritual. 
This  form  of  service  in  the  church  offers  the  greatest 
opportunity  for  men  and  women  to  express  their  own 
religious  convictions.  "It  is  not  so  much  a  matter 
of  what  Ideals  a  teacher  teaches  as  of  what  ideals  are 
in  his  heart."  The  spiritual  success  of  any  class, 
therefore,  depends  on  the  spirituality  and  consecration 
of  the  teacher.  These  are  of  the  first  importance  in 
the  teacher's  qualifications. 

2.  The  next  qualification  is  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  subject  matter  which  she  is  to  teach;  the  teacher 
should  know  the  Bible  thoroughly.  This  does  not 
mean  a  knowledge  merely  of  the  lesson  for  the  next 
Sunday,  but  a  connected  and  organized  knowledge  of 
the  entire  Book  and  the  relation  of  its  parts.  This 
is  as  essential  to  the  success  of  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  as  a  knowledge  of  any  subject  in  the  secular 
curriculum  is  to  the  teacher  in  the  public  school. 
Systematic  and  painstaking  study  of  the  Bible  will  in 
time  qualify  a  teacher  in  this  respect. 

3.  The  Sunday-school  teacher  also  needs  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  fundamental  principles  of  teaching.  She 
should  know  what  the  teaching  process  is  and  how 
good  teaching  Is  done.  This  knowledge,  however,  does 
not  mean  a  sentimental  idea  of  so-called  "soft  peda- 
gogics," which  has  tended  to  decrease  the  dignity  of, 
and  to  emasculate,  the  teaching  profession.  The  good 
teacher  observes  correct  principles  of  teaching,  even 

[41] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

though  she  may  never  have  heard  the  word  "pedagogy" 
or  read  a  book  on  the  subject.  Young  teachers  will 
do  well  to  study  a  few  books  dealing  with  the  essential 
laws  of  the  teaching  process.  There  are  scores  of 
such  books,  easily  available,  and  Sunday-school 
teachers  should  be  acquainted  with  the  best  of 
them. 

4.  A  knowledge  of  child  life  and  child  psychology 
is  a  necessary  part  of  the  equipment  of  every  Sunday- 
school  teacher  who  would  render  the  best  service  in 
the  work.  The  problem  of  properly  interpreting 
children's  acts  is  a  complex  one.  The  true  value  of 
child  psychology,  however,  does  not  rest  in  a  knowledge 
of  this  or  that  isolated  fact  about  children,  but  rather 
in  a  knowledge  of  how  human  growth  proceeds. 
Children  are  not  miniature  adults;  the  child  of  six  must 
be  considered  as  different  from  the  child  of  twelve;  and 
the  Sunday-school  teacher  needs  to  know  the  various 
characteristics  of  the  different  stages  through  which 
the  child  passes  in  order  to  guide  him  into  the  best 
channels  and  through  the  most  serious  dangers  from 
childhood  to  maturity.  A  book  or  two  studied  on 
this  important  equipment  of  the  teacher,  and  the 
valuable  practice  of  observing  child  life,  will  add 
greatly  to  one's  success  in  teaching  in  the  Sunday- 
school. 

5.  Sympathy  for  and  interest  in  the  work  are  also 
important  for  the  teacher.  This  interest,  however, 
does  not  mean  a  visionary  zeal  which  amateurs  so  often 
display,  but  a  big  faith  in  the  work  and  in  the  oppor- 
tunity to  promote  Christian  growth  and  to  mould 
genuine  Christian  character, —  "a  passion  for  souls." 
Where  this  passion  is  found  there  is  no  place  for  in- 
difference, and  Sunday-school  work  is  then  taken 
seriously. 

[42] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND   PREPARATION 

Training  Class  Needed 

The  demand  is  not  for  trained  theologians  and 
professors  for  Sunday-school  teaching;  everything  else 
being  equal,  godly  young  laymen  are  always  preferable 
to  young  clergymen  In  this  work.  What  is  most 
needed  in  the  Sunday-school  is  the  taking  of  the 
available  material,  men  and  women  of  faith  and 
ability,  and  training  this  material  for  teaching  service 
there.  If  young  people  are  otherwise  qualified  for 
Sunday-school  teaching,  the  professional  side  of  their 
training,  outlined  above,  may  be  had  by  Independent 
study.  But  the  ideal  condition  Is  a  training  class, 
meeting  regularly,  under  competent  leadership,  with 
instruction  In  the  Bible,  the  principles  of  teaching,  child 
psychology,  and  the  more  technical  side  of  school-room 
practice. 

Training  the  Teachers  Already  in  Service 

A  class  for  the  professional  training  of  those  who  are 
already  teaching  Is  recognized  by  every  live  superin- 
tendent and  pastor  as  a  pressing  need  of  their  Sunday- 
school.  It  Is  one  of  their  biggest  problems.  Seventy- 
five  percent  of  our  Sunday-schools  are  said  to  be  rural 
or  in  small  towns,  and  fifty  percent  of  the  Sunday- 
schools  have  less  than  a  dozen  officers  and  teachers. 
Here  Is  one  feature  of  the  problem  which  Is  hard  to 
solve.  Interdenominational,  community,  or  city  train- 
ing classes  are,  as  a  rule,  more  likely  to  thrive  and 
succeed  than  a  class  connected  with  a  single  church. 
But  the  suggestions  made  In  this  chapter  are  intended 
particularly  for  the  single  church,  but  may  be  used, 
with  enlarging  and  Improving,  for  the  town  or  com- 
munity. The  best  methods  of  modern  Sunday-school 
work  may  be  adapted  and  applied  to  the  small  school. 

[43] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

Beginning  the  Work 

The  pastor  and  superintendent  should  concentrate 
their  efforts  in  launching  the  enterprise  of  organizing 
a  teacher  training  class.  Most  of  us  have  yet  to  learn 
the  real  meaning  of  the  Sunday-school,  its  place  in  the 
church  organization,  and  its  proper  function  in  moral 
training.  The  church  membership  might  have  the 
importance  of  training  religious  leaders  brought  to  its 
attention  through  a  sermon  by  the  pastor.  This  could 
be  followed  up  by  personal  appeals  from  the  pastor 
and  superintendent  to  the  teachers  in  an  effort  to  enlist 
them  in  teacher  training  work.  A  public  meeting 
should  then  be  held,  even  though  not  more  than  a 
dozen  people  attended.  Some  efforts  to  begin  such 
training  as  we  have  in  mind  would  be  a  revelation  to 
most  teachers  in  rural  and  village  churches  where 
teachers'  meetings  of  any  sort  are  almost  unknown. 
Interest  has  been  known  to  develop  in  this  significant 
movement  when  it  was  the  least  expected.  When  the 
importance  of  a  training  class  is  properly  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  teachers,  their  responses  are 
usually  most  gratifying.  In  these  meetings  com- 
parisons should  be  made  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
school  and  the  public  school,  the  preparation  of  teachers 
in  each,  and  the  importance  of  the  subject  matter  taught 
in  each.  This  will  call  attention  to  the  apparent 
neglect  in  the  Sunday-school  of  teacher  training  and 
competent  supervision  of  the  teacher's  work. 

Who  Shall  Teach  the  Class? 

After  the  teachers  have  been  seen  and  the  meeting 
has  been  held  and  plans  discussed,  a  teacher  competent 
to  direct  the  work  should  be  selected.  If  possible,  a 
professionally  trained  teacher  in  the  public  schools  in 
the  town  or  community  should  be  chosen.     The  pastor 

[44] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND   PREPARATION 

or  superintendent  is  usually  selected  for  this  place,  but 
a  man  who  is  qualified  to  instruct  in  the  Bible,  in  the 
principles  of  teaching  and  other  allied  subjects  is  more 
desirable.  It  is  well,  also,  to  select  someone  who  is 
not  connected  with  the  Sunday-school  as  officer  or 
teacher,  but  who,  of  course,  is  heartily  in  sympathy 
with  the  work.  Moreover,  if  an  outsider  is  secured  as 
leader  of  the  class,  attendance  is  likely  to  be  more 
regular  and  punctual. 

The  Time  of  Meeting 

The  evening  of  the  midweek  service  has  been  found 
to  be  a  very  good  time  for  the  meeting  of  the  training 
class.  As  a  rule,  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  are 
very  busy,  and  they  are  also  usually  attendants  on  the 
mid-week  service.  If  the  teachers'  meeting  is  placed 
on  the  same  evening  with  the  mid-week  prayer  service, 
interest  may  be  created  in  both.  The  danger  of 
"crowding,"  however,  is  obvious.  But  if  care  is  taken 
at  this  point,  so  that  the  prayer  service  is  not  made 
too  long,  this  problem  will  solve  itself.  In  some  cases 
the  teacher  training  class  meets  before,  in  some  cases 
after,  the  prayer  service.  In  some  cases  the  practice 
of  meeting  late  in  the  afternoon,  having  the  teacher 
training  class,  and  then  serving  a  light,  inexpensive 
supper,  has  been  found  to  be  a  most  excellent  plan. 
This  gives  a  recess  before  the  usual  time  for  prayer 
service.  Moreover,  the  social  feature  of  such  a  plan 
is  worth  while. 

The  Course  of  Lessons 

Lessons  on  various  topics  and  subjects  connected 
with  Sunday-school  work  should  be  planned.  Such 
topics  and  subjects  could  be  selected  by  the  leader  who 
should  be  acquainted  with   the  professional  needs  of 

[45] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

the  members  of  the  class.  Such  a  course  as  is  here 
spoken  of  assumes  that  the  teachers  already  know  the 
Bible,  and  in  point  of  consecration  are  qualified  for 
teaching  service  in  the  Sunday-school.  One  or  more 
meetings  should  be  spent  on  each  topic,  and  no  topic 
should  be  left  until  something  definite  and  workable  is 
reached  as  a  guiding  principle.  The  following  is  a 
suggested  list  of  subjects  which  have  been  discussed 
and  studied  to  great  advantage  in  teacher-training 
classes: 

"  The  Qualifications  of  the  Sunday-school  Teacher." 

*'  Successful  and  Unsuccessful  Sunday-school  Teaching." 

"  What  Should  the  Teacher  Know  about  Her  Pupils?" 

"  Planning  the  Sunday-school  Lesson." 

"  Teaching  the  Sunday-school  Lesson." 

"  Asking  Questions  in  the  Sunday-school  Class." 

"  Securing  and  Holding  the  Attention  of  the  Pupils." 

"  Relating  the  Lesson  to  the  Life  of  the  Children." 

"  The  Personality  of  the  Teacher." 

"  Jesus  as  a  Teacher." 

"  Examination  and  Review." 

Such  a  course  should  extend  over  at  least  ten  weeks. 
Other  topics,  dealing  with  the  more  technical  side  of 
school-room  practice,  could  be  added  and  could  be 
discussed  with  great  profit.  Such  subjects  would 
suggest  others  and  soon  the  course  would  formulate 
itself.  On  such  a  list  of  topics  there  is  an  abundance 
of  material,  a  sufficient  amount  of  which  can  be  had 
in  a  few  books  at  a  small  cost.  The  books  can  be  kept 
in  the  school  library  and  used  for  reference  by  the 
members  of  the  group. 

The  Books 

The  following  books  have  been  found  of  much  help 
to  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  and  have  been  used 
to  decided  advantage  in  teacher  training  classes.     They 

[46] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND   PREPARATION 

should  be  bought,  if  possible,  by  the  Sunday-school, 
and  placed  where  the  members  of  the  class  can  have 
easy  access  to  them: 

Brown,  How  to  Plan  a  Lesson,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

Colvin  and  Bagley,  Human  Behavior,  The  Macmillan 
Company,  New  York. 

DuBois,  The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,  Dodd,  Mead 
and  Company,  New  York. 

Fitch,  The  Art  of  Securing  and  Holding  Attention,  A. 
Flanagan  and  Company,  Chicago. 

Fitch,  The  Art  of  Questioning,  A.  Flanagan  and  Com- 
pany, Chicago. 

Gregory,  The  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,  The  Pilgrim  Press, 
Boston. 

Home,  The  Art  of  Questioning,  The  Pilgrim  Press, 
Boston. 

James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  Henry  Holt  and  Company, 
New  York. 

Kirkpatrick,  The  Individual  in  the  Making,  Houghton 
Mifflin  Company,  New  York. 

McElfresh,  The  Training  of  Sunday-school  Teachers  and 
Officers,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

McMurry,  The  Method  of  The  Recitation,  The  Macmillan 
Company,  New  York. 

Strayer,  A  Brief  Course  in  the  Teaching  Process,  The  Mac- 
millan Company,  New  York. 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

The  Plan  and  Method  of  the  Work 

The  leader  should  so  plan  the  work  as  to  review  the 
preceding  topic  and  to  prepare  the  mind  of  the  members 
of  the  class  for  the  material  of  the  new  topic  to  be 
discussed  at  the  approaching  meeting.  This  new 
topic,  which  should  be  thoroughly  prepared  by  the 
leader,  should  be  presented  by  him  and  discussed  by 
the  members  of  the  class.  Readings  on  the  new  topic 
should  then  be  assigned.     The  members  of  the  class 

[47] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

should  keep  notebooks  in  which  should  be  placed  notes 
on  the  readings  which  are  assigned  on  the  various 
topics  from  week  to  week  and  on  the  discussions  in 
the  class.  Reports  on  these  readings  and  on  questions 
asked  by  the  leader  should  be  required  of  the  class, 
and  every  effort  should  be  made  to  make  the  work  of 
the  class  as  cooperative  as  possible.  Lessons  could  be 
planned  and  demonstrated  by  members  of  the  group; 
discussions  should  be  free  and  easy;  experiments  should 
be  reported,  and  the  one  aim  of  the  class  should  be  to 
develop  effective  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school. 

How  Such  a  Course  May  Help  Teachers 

If  such  a  course  is  properly  taught  and  thoroughly 
studied  the  result  will  reveal  itself  in  more  competent 
teaching.  The  members  of  the  class,  however,  should 
at  the  outset  pledge  faithful  and  prompt  attendance 
during  the  ten  or  twelve  weeks  in  which  the  work  is 
to  be  given.  They  should  make  an  effort  to  do  the 
assigned  readings,  to  observe  their  classes  more  closely 
from  Sunday  to  Sunday,  to  study  the  topics  to  be 
presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  class,  and  to  make 
their  contribution  to  the  interest  of  the  class  dis- 
cussion, —  to  give  the  class  the  benefit  of  their  ex- 
perience and  observation  and  experiments.  They 
should  make  notes  of  the  main  points  brought  out  by 
the  discussion  of  the  topics;  they  should  ask  and 
answer  questions  as  freely  as  possible;  they  should  tell 
frankly  the  difficulties  they  have  in  their  classes;  they 
should  set  aside  a  definite  time  for  reading  and  for 
studying  in  an  effort  to  improve  their  teaching;  they 
should  plan  to  work  with  a  specific  aim  in  every  lesson. 

The  Examination 

There  should  be  given  at  the  end  of  the  work  a  simple 
[48] 


QUALIFICATIONS   AND   PREPARATION 

but  practical  examination  of  the  course.  Just  as 
classes  in  the  Sunday-school  should  have  some  form 
of  review  and  examination  as  a  basis  for  promotion, 
so  also  should  classes  for  training  teachers  have  ex- 
aminations. Of  course  the  Sunday-school  cannot 
adopt  all  the  methods  which  are  practicable  in  the 
public  schools  for  securing  regular  and  faithful  work. 
But  some  form  of  examination  is  especially  needed  in 
a  course  such  as  that  described  above.  Organization 
and  perspective  of  a  series  of  such  lessons  demand  some 
final  review  and  examination.  The  leader  of  the 
course  should  explain  early  in  the  work  that  the  review 
will  be  practical,  so  that  those  who  are  not  In  the 
habit  of  studying  and  who  do  not  like  written  reports, 
may  have  no  particular  fear  of  the  approaching  ex- 
amination. The  examination,  too,  like  questions  In 
any  class  discussion,  should  teach  as  well  as  test;  and 
the  leader  should  consider  the  place  it  should  occupy 
in  his  plan  with  the  class. 

A  Suggested  Examination 

The  following  list  of  questions  proved  helpful  and 
useful  at  the  end  of  a  ten-weeks'  course  on  topics 
similar  to  those  described  above: 

1.  Give  the  age  and  sex  of  your  pupils. 

2.  What  are  some  of  their  plays,  games,  recreations  and 
amusements? 

3.  Do  you  always  have  an  aim  in  teaching  this  particular 
class.'*     State  the  aim  briefly. 

4.  Write  out  in  a  brief  paragraph  what  you  regard  as  the 
essential  features  of  a  lesson  plan. 

5.  How  often  have  you  followed  a  definite  lesson  plan  In 
your  class.'' 

6.  What  are  some  of  the  needs  of  your  pupils  ? 

7.  How  can  you  tell  when  your  class  fails  to  understand 
the  meaning  of  the  lesson.''  What  do  you  do  when  the  class 
does  not  understand? 

[49] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

8.  Do  your  students  know  how  to  study?     What  effort 
have  you  made  to  teach  them? 

9.  How  many  questions  did  you  ask  in  your  class  last 
Sunday?     How  many  did  your  class  ask? 

10.  What  habits  are  your  pupils  forming?  What  habits 
are  you  seeking  to  form  in  them? 

11.  What  are  the  essentials  of  a  good  story? 

12.  Criticize  this:  "  John,  must  I  ask  you  to  stop  looking 
out  the  window  and  to  pay  attention  to  what  I  am  saying?  " 

13.  Criticize  the  practice  of  rapping  on  the  table  or  desk 
for  order. 

14.  Criticize  and  revise  any  of  the  following  questions  on 
the  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan: 

"  (a)  James,  what  did  the  man  who  went  from  Jerusalem  to 
Jericho  fall  among?"  (b)  "What  happened  to  him?"  (c) 
"  Who  passed  by  and  saw  him  wounded  and  half  dead?  " 

(d)  "  Who  had  compassion  on  the  wounded  man,  Robert? " 

(e)  "  What  does  this  story  teach,  Harry?  " 

15.  How  can  you  tell  when  you  have  taught  a  lesson  well? 

Preparing  New  Teachers 

Not  only  must  those  who  are  already  teaching  be 
given  specific  and  definite  training,  but  provision  should 
be  made  In  every  Sunday-school  for  training  those 
who  have  never  taught.  Such  provision  Is  absolutely 
necessary  If  the  church  Is  to  make  herself  secure  for 
the  future.  Until  a  plan  for  training  new  recruits  Is 
Inaugurated  and  executed,  the  Sunday-school  cannot 
possibly  occupy  Its  proper  place  In  the  life  of  the  church. 
The  Instructing  part  of  the  Sunday-school  work  must 
be  taken  with  more  seriousness.  The  promising  young 
men  and  women  who  are  available  In  the  church  should, 
therefore,  be  encouraged  to  Interest  themselves  in 
preparation  for  this  form  of  religious  service.  It  Is 
Imperative  that  every  church  and  Sunday-school  make 
provision  for  preparing  and  training  new  teachers. 

Beginning  the  Work 

Interest  in  the  work  of  preparing  new  teachers  may 
[SO] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND  PREPARATION 

be  awakened  in  a  variety  of  ways.  The  pastor,  superin- 
tendent, officers,  and  teachers  should  unite  their 
efforts  in  inviting  the  younger  Christians,  who  show 
promise  of  making  competent  and  useful  teachers,  to 
join  the  class  for  Instruction  in  teaching.  There  should 
be  a  class  in  every  school,  even  though  less  than  a  half 
dozen  students  enroll  in  it.  The  only  hope  of  securing 
an  adequate  supply  of  competent  teachers  for  the 
Sunday-school  rests  at  this  point,  and  the  young  and 
the  hopeful  must  be  secured  to  forward  this  important 
work.  Young  people  below  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
thinks  Professor  McElfresh,  are  the  ones  to  be  selected. 
"They  have  not  yet  felt  the  heavy  burdens  of  life  upon 
their  shoulders,  nor  have  they  become  so  entangled  in 
the  many  Interests  or  pleasures  that  they  are  distracted 
from  important  study  of  this  character."  Such  young 
people  should  be  talked  with  personally  by  the  pastor, 
the  superintendent,  or  some  other  officer  of  the  Sunday- 
school;  emphasis  should  be  placed  on  the  importance 
and  the  honor  of  being  trained  by  the  church  for 
leadership  in  religious  education.  And  only  those  who 
are  earnest  and  who  feel  free  to  assist  in  promoting 
the  work  of  the  class  should  be  enrolled  as  members. 
When  such  young  people  have  been  secured,  even 
though  the  number  be  small,  definite  organization 
should  be  made  of  the  class,  and  notice  of  organization, 
with  the  names  of  the  members  and  the  leader,  should 
be  sent  to  the  central  denominational  office  or  to  the 
state  interdenominational  office,  or  to  both  if  necessary. 

The  Teacher 

The  best  equipped  teacher  the  church  or  community 
affords  should  be  selected  as  the  leader  of  the  class. 
He  or  she  should  be  consecrated  and  Inspired  and 
capable  of  inspiring  others.     The  teacher  should  have 

[51] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  be  In  earnest  sym- 
pathy with  youth,  be  trained  professionally,  if  possible, 
for  teaching,  and  have  the  proper  idea  of  the  responsi- 
bility of  training  young  men  and  women  for  teaching 
service  in  the  Sunday-school.  If  a  teacher  cannot  be 
found  who  is  trained  In  the  best  educational  methods, 
the  best  available  one  should  be  taken  and  encouraged 
to  prepare,  by  Independent  study,  for  the  work  of 
instructing  the  class.  Knowledge  of  the  Bible,  of 
teaching,  of  what  teaching  is  and  how  to  do  it,  is 
necessary  for  such  work.  Above  everything  else, 
however,  the  one  chosen  should  be  a  teacher  and  not 
a  lecturer.  Lecturing  to  a  class  In  training  for  teaching 
is  the  quickest  way  to  destroy  interest  in  the  work 
and  eventually  to  kill  the  class.  Delay  beginning  the 
work  until  a  good  teacher  has  been  secured. 

The  Time  and  the  Place  of  Meeting 

Sunday  morning  at  the  hour  of  the  regular  Sunday- 
school  session  Is  a  good  time  for  the  class  to  meet,  and 
the  church  is  a  good  place.  Local  conditions,  however, 
may  determine  the  time  and  the  place  of  meeting. 
Some  classes  have  met  an  hour  just  before  the  preach- 
ing service,  when  the  Sunday-school  met  In  the  after- 
noon, in  order  that  its  members  might  continue  In  their 
regular  Sunday-school  class  work.  If  a  separate  room 
cannot  be  secured  at  the  church,  sufficient  space  should 
be  curtained  or  screened  off  from  the  other  part  of  the 
Sunday-school,  or  the  class  should  meet  at  some  other 
place.  The  class  should  meet  at  the  same  place  always, 
and  not  allow  the  practice  of  meeting  at  one  place  or 
home  one  time  and  at  another  place  another  time. 
Whatever  the  time  and  place,  more  time  should  be 
given  to  the  study  in  the  training  class  than  is  ordinarily 
allowed   to   the   study   of  the   regular   Sunday-school 

[52] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND   PREPARATION 

lesson.     At  least  an  hour  should  be  devoted  to  the 
regular  class  work  at  every  meeting. 

Training  Class  Equipment 

A  separate  room,  if  possible,  is  a  necessary  part  of 
the  equipment  of  the  class.  This  room  should^  be 
supplied  with  accurate  biblical  maps,  a  convenient 
blackboard,  Bible  dictionary,  English  dictionary,  and 
a  dozen  or  more  books  for  reference  and  study  in 
connection  with  the  work.  The  books  should  be  in 
charge  of  some  member  of  the  class  and  should  always 
be  in  easy  access  to  all  the  members.  This  reference 
library  is  an  important  part  of  the  class  equipment. 

The  Student's  Equipment 

Each  student  should  have  his  own  Bible,  and  a 
copy  of  the  textbook  to  be  used  as  a  guide  for  the 
course,  and  the  more  of  the  reference  books  that  each 
student  himself  owns  the  better  it  will  be  for  him. 
He  should  also  have  a  good  notebook  of  convenient 
size,  which  should  be  used  regularly  in  taking  notes  on 
the  class  discussions,  the  readings  in  the  reference  books, 
and  on  observation  work  which  he  may  later  do. 

The  Course 

A  course  of  lessons  covering  one  or  more  years  of 
work  should  be  planned  and  outlined  by  the  teacher, 
or,  if  such  a  course  can  be  found  already  outlined,  it  is 
better  to  secure  it.  These  lessons  should  deal  with 
the  Bible,  child  development  and  child  psychology,  the 
principles  of  teaching,  and  the  history,  organization, 
methods  and  management  of  the  Sunday-school. 
Half  of  the  lesson  periods  should  be  devoted  to  a  study 
of  the   Bible,   Bible   history   and   geography,   ancient 

[53] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

customs  and  manners;  and  one  half  of  the  remaining 
periods  should  be  given  to  a  study  of  the  child  and  the 
principles  of  teaching,  and  the  other  half  to  the  study  of 
the  Sunday-school  and  its  management.  If  the 
course  is  to  be  two  years  in  length  instead  of  one  year, 
practically  the  same  kind  of  division  may  be  made  in 
the  periods.  The  Pilgrim  Preparatory  Course,  pre- 
pared by  The  Pilgrim  Press,  14  Beacon  Street,  Boston, 
Mass.,  is  especially  adapted  to  the  class  in  the  small 
church.  Information  concerning  this  course,  the  text- 
books used  in  it,  and  other  information,  may  be  had 
by  writing  to  the  above  address. 

Method  of  Conducting  the  Class 

If  an  efficient  teacher  can  be  secured  who  can  enlist 
the  proper  support  of  the  church  and  the  class,  there 
will  be  little  danger  of  failure.  As  has  already  been 
pointed  out,  the  lecture  method  is  not  suited  to  the 
needs  of  a  teacher-training  class,  though  there  may  be 
less  of  discussion  than  will  be  found  in  a  class  for  those 
already  in  service.  Assignments  of  the  lessons  on  the 
various  parts  of  the  course  should  be  made  with  as 
much  care  and  definiteness  as  assignments  on  any 
subject  in  the  public  schools.  For  a  recitation  or 
lesson  of  one  hour,  an  assignment  should  be  given 
which  will  require  as  much  as  two  hours'  preparation. 
The  amount  of  additional  readings  in  the  reference 
books  should  be  given  so  as  not  to  burden  the  class 
unduly  with  this  part  of  the  work,  though  an  effort 
should  be  made  to  do  a  great  deal  of  this  kind  of  study. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  see  that  all  assignments  in 
outside  readings  be  on  the  point  or  topic  under  con- 
sideration at  the  time  the  assignments  are  given.  All 
of  this,  of  course,  means  definite  planning  by  the 
teacher.    And  in  addition  to  this  part  of  the  work, 

[54] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND  PREPARATION 

provision  should  be  made  for  a  great  deal  of  illustrative 
and  blackboard  work,  and  the  drawing  of  maps.  Not 
only  are  the  members  of  the  group  to  gain  information 
which  they  are  to  teach,  but  they  should  study  and 
discuss  specific  problems  in  teaching,  should  have  their 
attention  directed  to  a  study  of  the  child,  and  should 
also  be  introduced  to  the  more  troublesome  problems 
of  Sunday-school  management,  and  be  shown  what  is 
being  done  to  solve  these  problems.  All  of  such  topics 
as  these  should  be  studied  and  discussed  thoroughly. 
But  it  should  be  kept  in  mind  constantly  that  facts  of 
the  Bible  and  matters  concerning  personal  influence 
of  the  religious  teacher  are  of  vital  importance  in  the 
preparation  of  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school.  This 
should  always  be  in  the  mind  of  the  leader  of  the  class. 

Observation  and  Practice  Teaching 

No  training-school  for  teachers  in  the  public  school 
system  or  in  the  university  is  regarded  as  complete 
that  does  not  make  provision  for  observation  of  teach- 
ing and  also  for  practice  teaching.  Provision  for  similar 
work  is  no  less  important  for  the  training  of  teachers 
in  the  Sunday-school;  in  fact,  it  ought  to  be  regarded 
as  an  important  part  of  the  equipment  of  every  well- 
organized  Sunday-school.  After  these  young  students 
of  the  Bible,  of  principles  and  methods  of  teaching, 
and  of  Sunday-school  organization  and  management, 
have  advanced  sufficiently  in  these  subjects,  they 
should  then  be  allowed  to  observe  the  work  of  the  best 
teachers  in  their  Sunday-school,  or  in  any  other  school 
in  the  community.  This  observation  work  should 
extend  over  at  least  four  or  five  Sundays.  The  obser- 
vations should  be  carefully  recorded  in  the  notebook 
and  brought  to  class  where  they  should  be  considered 
and   discussed   by   all   the  members.     This  proves   a 

[55] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

most  helpful  practice  in  schools  of  methods  for  public 
school  teachers.  Later,  the  members  of  the  class 
should  be  given  the  opportunity  to  teach  classes  in 
their  Sunday-school  or  in  any  other  Sunday-school  in 
which  they  can  secure  the  privilege.  This  teaching 
should  be  done  under  the  supervision  of  the  regular 
teacher  of  the  class,  the  teacher  of  the  training-class, 
the  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school,  department 
supervisor,  or  under  the  direction  of  some  person  who 
is  capable  of  offering  helpful  suggestions.  Young 
teachers  usually  object  to  such  supervision,  or  hesitate 
to  do  practice  teaching  because  of  this  supervision. 
The  leader  of  the  class,  however,  should  make  it  clear 
that  some  form  of  sympathetic  supervision  is  of  vital 
advantage  to  the  young  man  or  woman  who  is  inex- 
perienced in  teaching,  but  who  really  wishes  to  learn 
how  to  teach. 

Examination 

At  the  end  of  the  course,  whether  it  be  a  course  of 
one  or  two  years,  a  review  and  examination  should  be 
given.  Frequent  reviews  and  written  tests  on  the 
work  should  also  be  given  throughout  the  course. 
The  final  examination  should  be  simple  and  practical; 
such  an  examination  will  add  dignity  to  the  work 
and  increase  its  importance  in  the  opinion  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class  and  the  community.  The  questions 
should  be  made  out  by  the  teacher  on  the  textbook 
used,  outside  reading,  observation  or  practice  teaching, 
and  on  any  other  additional  work  which  the  class  may 
have  done.  The  papers  should  be  carefully  graded 
and  a  record  of  the  marks  kept.  If  the  class  has  been 
properly  enrolled  with  the  central  denominational 
committee  or  with  the  state  interdenominational 
committee,  a  record  of  its  work  should  be  sent  to  this 

[56] 


QUALIFICATIONS  AND   PREPARATION 

committee  and  the  usual  certificates  procured.  Some 
form  of  service  recognizing  the  Importance  of  the  period 
of  training  and  the  completion  of  the  course  should  be 
arranged  by  the  church  when  a  class  has  completed  Its 
work. 

More  Efficient  Teaching  the  Solution 

When  classes  for  those  who  are  already  teaching  are 
organized  and  properly  taught,  and  classes  are  main- 
tained for  supplying  the  Sunday-school  each  year  with 
additional  teachers,  consecrated,  well-trained  and 
inspired,  the  educational  work  of  the  church  will  go 
forward  as  never  before.  And  there  Is  evidence  that 
the  church  Is  awakening  to  this  new  responsibility, 
and  is  preparing  to  answer  the  demand  for  more  efficient 
lay  religious  teaching.  A  return  to  teaching  seems 
indeed  to  be  the  only  solution  for  the  great  moral  and 
religious  problem  facing  the  church  today. 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 
Books 

Athearn,  The  Church  School,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Cope,  The  Evolution  of  the  Sunday-school,  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

Hyde,  The  Teacher's  Philosophy,  Houghton  Mifflin  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Hyde,  The  College  Man  and  the  College  Woman  (Chapter 
on  The  Personality  of  the  Teacher),  Houghton  Mifflin  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Palmer,  The  Ideal  Teacher,  Houghton  Mifflin  Company, 
New  York. 

Slattery,  A  Guide  for  Teachers  of  Training  Classes,  The 
Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Slattery,  Talks  with  the  Training  Class,  The  Pilgrim  Press, 
Boston. 

Wells,  Sunday-school  Success,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

[57] 


SOMEiPRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

Wells,  The  Teacher  that  Teaches,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

See  also  the  list  of  books  mentioned  on  page  47. 

Exercises 

1.  Read  Kirkpatrick's  The  Individual  in  the  Making  and 
see  if  you  change  your  notions  of  child  nature. 

2.  Give  a  brief  description  of  the  qualities  of  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  who  taught  and  helped  you  most  in  your 
youth.     How  do  you  explain  the  success  of  that  teacher? 

3.  Give  instances  from  the  teachings  of  Jesus  of  (a)  his 
knowledge  of  human  nature;  (b)  his  ability  to  adapt  the 
truth  he  was  teaching  to  the  immediate  needs  of  the  group 
which  he  was  teaching;  (c)  his  ability  to  make  clear  the  lesson 
he  was  teaching. 

4.  Study  Chapter  VII  of  James'  Talks  to  Teachers  and 
note  how  many  "  native  tendencies  "  a  child  has  which  the 
teacher  can  make  use  of  in  the  Sunday-school. 

5.  Read  pages  247  to  274  in  Hyde's  College  Man  and 
College  Woman  and  compare  the  qualities  described  there 
with  your  own. 

6.  What  Sunday-school  weekly  or  monthly  paper  or 
magazine  does  your  school  take  for  its  teachers.'* 

7.  What  advantages  naturally  come  from  teachers' 
meetings  in  the  Sunday-school? 


[S8] 


CHAPTER   V 

Planning  the  Lesson 

Knowing  the  Pupils  First 

If  the  teacher  knows  her  class  thoroughly  she  is  then 
ready  to  plan  each  lesson  in  such  a  way  as  to  meet  the 
needs  of  her  pupils.  And  no  lesson  can  be  well  taught 
that  is  not  planned  with  reference  to  the  immediate 
needs  of  the  class.  Teaching  children  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  or  indeed  in  any  school,  is  not  a  mysterious 
process.  It  is  a  natural  process;  and  the  art  of  teaching 
a  ten-year  old  is  not  unlike  that  of  teaching  an  adult, 
though  the  method  may  not  always  be  the  same. 
Preparation  to  teach  the  young  class  need  not  be 
essentially  different,  in  fact  probably  will  not  be 
different,  from  the  preparation  needed  to  teach  the 
older  class.  In  each  case  the  essentials  of  the  plan 
are  the  same. 

Preparing  the  Lesson 

Assuming  that  the  teacher  knows  her  group  of  boys 
or  girls  well  enough  to  understand  their  needs,  limi- 
tations and  difficulties,  the  next  step  in  getting  ready 
to  teach  her  class  is  preparation  of  the  lesson  material. 
However  long  or  short  the  lesson  may  be,  the  chief 
element  in  planning  to  teach  it  to  a  given  class  is 
thoroughness.  Not  only  must  the  teacher  know  this 
particular  lesson  well,  but  she  must  know  connections 
between  this  lesson  and  other  lessons  so  that  the 
teaching  may  be  more  effective.  Not  only  must  the 
central  truth  of  the  lesson  be  familiar  to  her,  but  the 
teacher  must  have  at  her  service  a  wealth  of  detail  and 

[59] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF   TEACHING 

illustration  which  will  help  to  make  the  lesson  vivid. 
The  Sunday-school  lesson  that  is  "crammed" — that 
is,  studied  hurriedly  and  superficially,  late  Saturday 
evening  or  early  Sunday  morning,  without  the  proper 
relations  being  made — can  never  be  taught  with  any 
degree  of  success.  One  of  the  most  disastrous  habits 
teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  have  formed  is  this 
hurried  preparation  of  the  lesson.  It  has  been  re- 
sponsible for  a  large  loss  of  interest  in  instruction  in 
the  Sunday-school. 

Thorough  Preparation 

Thoroughness  of  preparation  means  many  things. 
The  business  of  the  teacher  is  to  teach,  to  instruct,  to 
train,  to  test,  to  guide,  to  correct  mistakes  of  fact  or  of 
ideas  or  conceptions,  and  to  help  the  pupil  build  right 
and  useful  habits  and  to  develop  toward  Christian 
maturity.  These  things  are  accomplished  by  the 
process  of  teaching.  This  entire  process  consists  of 
the  teacher's  preparation  of  the  lesson,  the  preparation 
by  the  teacher  of  the  mind  of  the  child  for  the  lesson 
material,  the  presentation  by  the  teacher  of  the  subject 
matter,  its  explanation,  and  its  application,  or  leading 
the  child  to  reflect  on  the  subject-matter.  Preparation 
is  not  thorough  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  unless  all 
these  features  of  the  teaching  process  be  provided 
for  in  every  lesson.  Thorough  preparation  of  the 
subject  matter  by  the  teacher  means  knowing  what 
the  lesson  is  and  what  it  teaches.  The  lesson  may  be  the 
story  of  the  sale  of  Joseph  by  his  brothers,  or  of  ^Daniel 
and  the  lions,  or  the  parables  of  the  lost  sheep  and  the 
lost  coin.  But  the  effect  of  it  on  the  group  of 
boys  and  girls  in  her  class  depends  altogether  on  the 
teacher's  knowledge  of  her  pupil's  needs  and  her 
ability  to  adapt  the  truth  of  the  lesson  to  those  needs. 

[60] 


PLANNING  THE   LESSON 

Becoming  entirely  familiar  with  the  lesson  should  be 
done  first  of  all  without  the  use  of  commentaries, 
atlases,  Bible  dictionaries,  concordances  or  other  helps. 
No  helps  should  be  consulted  until  the  teacher  has 
learned  all  she  can  directly  from  the  Bible.  Then  she 
is  ready  for  helps  and  additional  materials.  No 
method  of  teaching  can  take  the  place  of  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  every  bit  of  material  which  bears  on  the 
subject  to  be  taught.  The  good  teacher  goes  outside 
of  the  lesson  itself  for  any  helps  she  can  find,  any 
knowledge  in  biblical  geography,  or  any  acquaintance 
with  the  interests  of  her  pupils  and  the  possible  relations 
of  those  interests  to  the  lesson  to  be  taught. 

Organizing  the  Lesson  Material 

When  the  lesson  and  supplementary  material  have 
been  studied  thoroughly,  organizing  that  material  and 
putting  it  into  form  to  be  taught,  is  the  next  step  in 
planning  the  lesson.  The  teacher  who  would  be  effec- 
tive will  cultivate  the  habit  of  organization;  it  is  one 
of  the  most  important  elements  in  the  whole  lesson- 
planning  process.  The  importance  of  this  part  of  the 
lesson  plan  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  proper  organi- 
zation of  any  lesson  material  must  be  made  with 
reference  to  the  needs  of  the  children  for  whose  teaching 
the  plan  is  being  made.  This  is  the  only  natural 
method  of  lesson  preparation.  The  point  of  view  of 
the  class  to  be  taught,  their  interests  and  needs,  are 
the  rightful  starting-point  in  the  separation  of  the 
non-essentials  from  the  essentials  in  the  materials  of 
the  lesson.  Facts  differ  in  value,  and  Sunday-school 
teachers  make  a  mistake  when  they  treat  them  as 
equal.  Facts  usually  depend  for  their  value  on  their 
relations  to  one  another;  so,  effectiveness  in  the 
presentation    of    facts    depends    altogether    on    their 

[61] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

organization.  And  the  basis  of  their  organization  is 
properly  the  relation  of  the  facts  to  the  interests  of 
the  class  to  whom  they  are  to  be  taught.  From  a 
proper  organization  the  central  thought  of  the  lesson 
will  naturally  reveal  itself,  and  this  becomes  the  natural 
basis  on  which  the  teacher  formulates  the  aim  of 
teaching  that  thought. 

From  the  Standpoint  of  the  Child 

All  this  preparation  should  be  done  through  the  eyes 
of  the  children  who  are  to  be  taught.  Put  yourself, 
if  you  can,  in  their  places  for  the  time.  Note  the 
questions  which  would  probably  arise  in  their  minds. 
Write  these  questions  down.  They  may  seem  simple, 
but  they  are  clues  to  the  lesson,  and  unless  you  take 
account  of  them  many  perplexities  will  assail  you. 
Many  of  these  questions  may  not  be  used  in  the  class, 
but  they  will  help  clarify  the  lesson  and  produce  other 
questions  which  will  be  of  service  when  you  come  to 
teach  it. 

Prepare  **  Pivotal  "  Questions 

Another  important  step  in  the  planning  of  a  Sunday- 
school  lesson  is  the  formulation  of  several  "pivotal" 
questions  which  will  call  for  the  central  thought  of  the 
lesson.  It  would,  of  course,  be  difficult  to  prepare 
many  workable  questions  ahead  of  time.  But  a  few 
well-prepared,  intelligent  questions  may  suggest  other 
questions  to  fit  situations  which  may  arise  after  the 
teaching  of  the  lesson  has  begun.  These  prepared 
questions  should  be  those  which  would  naturally 
provoke  thought  and  stimulate  the  pupils  to  a  lively 
interest  in  the  central  thought  of  the  lesson.  Such 
questions  are  easily  formulated  if  the  lesson  material 
has  been  thoroughly  studied  and  properly  organized. 

[62] 


PLANNING  THE  LESSON 

Illustrative  Material 

The  plan  of  any  Sunday-school  lesson  will  not  be 
complete  unless  It  Include  a  wealth  of  Illustrative 
material.  Variety  of  statement  Is  essential  to  all 
good  teaching.  Prepare  to  tell  the  same  thing  In 
different  ways,  to  make  a  fact  more  vivid  by  the  use  of 
a  story  which  the  children  can  understand,  or  by 
variety  of  Illustration,  Such  methods  are  always  the 
marks  of  good  teaching.  But  this  sort  of  thing  never 
comes,  especially  to  young  teachers,  except  by  thought- 
ful preparation  and  planning.  "Teacher  and  children 
are  often  disappointed  because  of  the  lack  of  materials 
which  could  have  been  at  hand  had  the  teacher  only 
thought  about  the  lesson  before  teaching  It." 

The  Teacher's  Aim 

The  teacher's  aim  forms  also  a  very  Important  part 
of  the  plan  of  any  lesson.  She  Is  not  In  her  proper 
place  if  the  teacher  goes  before  her  class  on  Sunday 
without  knowing  definitely  what  she  wants  to  do  with 
the  lesson  and  how  she  is  to  do  It.  "What  particular 
Christian  characteristics  should  this  lesson  strengthen 
In  my  pupils.?"  "Is  this  lesson  to  make  my  class  more 
generous,  more  truthful,  more  reverent,  and  more 
ambitious  to  render  human  service.?"  "How  are 
these  things  to  be  done.?"  are  questions  which  every 
teacher  who  believes  In  the  nobility  of  her  service  is 
asking  of  every  lesson  she  undertakes  to  teach.  What- 
ever may  be  the  thought  to  be  emphasized  or  the 
truth  to  be  taught,  about  it  should  cluster  questions, 
Illustrations  and  explanations  which  help  In  "driving 
it  home." 

Assignment  a  Part  of  the  Plan 

No  Sunday-school  lesson  period  Is  well  used  which 
does  not  Include  time  for  some  assignment  of  the  next 

[63] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

lesson.  No  lesson  plan,  therefore,  which  leaves  out 
assignment,  is  well  made.  The  Sunday-school  teacher 
should  keep  several  lessons  ahead  of  her  class.  Not 
only  should  she  know  the  lesson  she  is  to  teach  today, 
but  she  should  know  today  the  lesson  for  next  Sunday, 
and  know  it  so  thoroughly  that  two  or  three  minutes 
taken  near  the  end  of  the  lesson  period  to  give  the 
pupils  an  idea  of  the  next  lesson,  will  be  an  immediate 
means  of  stimulating  interest  in  that  lesson.  Any 
group  of  intelligent  boys  and  girls  will  take  a  more 
lively  interest  in  the  work  if  something  is  said  about 
next  Sunday's  lesson.  In  making  the  assignment,  give 
the  class  something  to  do.  Good  assignments  always 
provide  real  stimulus  for  study  in  preparation  of  the 
lesson  for  next  Sunday.  Make  it  a  point  to  give  the 
inattentive  boy  something  definite  to  do  for  the 
following  Sunday's  work.  To  look  for  some  bit  of 
information  concerning  the  geography  of  the  country 
in  which  the  scene  of  the  lesson  appears,  or  a  fact  in 
biblical  history,  or  some  similar  task,  has  been  known 
to  stimulate  immediate  interest  in  the  work  for  the 
following  Sunday.  This  can  be  done,  in  some  form  or 
other,  in  practically  all  classes  in  the  school,  except 
those  of  the  youngest  children. 

Time  and  Patience  Needed 

All  this  will  take  time.  The  mastery  of  the  lesson 
material,  its  organization,  the  formulation  of  important 
pivotal  questions,  the  study  and  comparison  of  lesson 
helps,  and  the  planning  how  to  reaUze  the  aim  of  the 
lesson,  will  consume  more  time  than  is  ordinarily  given 
to  Sunday-school  teaching.  But  genuine  Sunday- 
school  success  cannot  be  had  without  it.  If  the  work 
is  done  thoroughly,  and  if  the  lesson  plans  are  saved 
from  month  to  month,  the  teacher  who  follows  such  a 

[64] 


PLANNING  THE  LESSON 

plan  as  that  outlined  here,  and  follows  it  with  every 
lesson  she  teaches,  will  early  develop  into  a  ^  mag- 
nificently trained  teacher.  If  she  has  enlisted  in  the 
work  for  the  good  she  can  do  for  as  long  as  she  is  able 
to  do  it,  then  she  owes  it  to  herself  as  well  as  to  the 
cause  for  which  she  is  working  to  give  time  and  thought 
to  preparation  of  the  lessons  she  is  to  teach.  More- 
over, this  thoroughgoing  method  of  work  is  economical; 
the  more  it  is  done  the  easier  it  is  to  do.  The  returns 
from  such  systematic  preparation  are  great.  In  a 
short  time  the  teacher  who  gives  herself  such  training 
will  find  her  mind  stocked  with  memory  verses;  she 
will  be  familiar  with  the  geography  of  the  Bible,  and 
with  Bible  customs,  and  the  interpretation  and  appli- 
cation of  biblical  truths  will  become  easier  and  easier 
for  her. 

Efficiency  Demands  It 

This  thorough  training  which  the  teacher  gets  is  not 
alone  the  motive  which  genuine  teachers  in  the  Sunday- 
school  have  in  undertaking  to  do  their  work  well. 
The  work  may  be  hard.  But  no  noble  work  was  ever 
easy;  and  the  call  for  improvement  in  Sunday-school 
teaching  comes  to  strong  men  and  women.  Incom- 
petence in  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school  has  brought 
disastrous  and  woeful  results.  And  if  by  painstak- 
ing effort  and  thoughtful  preparation  Sunday-school 
teachers  can  increase  the  eflliciency  in  this  important 
work,  then  the  result  will  be  worth  all  the  time  and  toil 
which  it  requires. 

Driving  the  Spiritual  Thought  Home 

The  aim  in  Sunday-school  teaching  is  to  give  spiritual 
thoughts  and  spiritual  truths.  The  selection  of  the 
central  thought  of  the  lesson,  planning  the  method  of 

[65] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

approach,  seeking  to  adapt  the  truth  of  the  lesson  to 
the  interests  and  needs  of  the  pupils,  planning  questions 
and  illustrations  and  explanations,  —  all  these  things 
are  means  to  one  end,  which  is  to  quicken  the  spiritual 
life  and  insight  of  those  who  are  to  be  taught.  Deciding 
on  the  spiritual  thought  and  how  it  can  be  given  must 
form  an  important  part  of  the  lesson  plan.  And  the 
lesson  will  be  taught  with  more  effect  and  will  be 
stronger  if  only  one  thought  is  selected  and  plans  made 
to  drive  that  thought  home  to  the  thoughts  and  lives 
of  the  members  of  the  class. 

Fundamentally  Religious  in  Its  Purpose 

The  fact  that  the  Sunday-school  is  essentially  re- 
ligious in  its  ultimate  purpose  should  be  so  thoroughly 
realized  and  understood  by  the  teacher  that  she  will 
never  lose  an  opportunity  to  make  her  teaching  re- 
ligiously eifective.  The  conversion  of  the  boys  and 
the  girls  who  are  being  taught,  and  their  development 
and  growth  in  intelligent  Christian  character,  are, 
therefore,  the  ends  for  which  the  institution  exists. 
The  Sunday-school  teacher  is,  for  this  reason,  more 
than  a  teacher:  the  religious  purpose  must  pervade  all 
of  her  earnest  effort.  This  purpose  should  never 
be  left  out  of  a  lesson  plan.  "  Strong,  clear,  religious 
teaching,  serious  appeal  to  the  conscience  based  on  fair 
exposition  of  the  Scripture,  is  not  repugnant  to  the 
pupils  of  our  Sunday-school.  They  need  it,  and  they 
will  welcome  it.  It  is  not  this,  but  feeble  and  oft- 
repeated  exhortations  based  on  nothing  in  particular, 
that  repels  them  and  drives  them  from  the  school  as 
soon  as  they  get  beyond  the  years  of  childhood." 


[66] 


PLANNING  THE   LESSON 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR   FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Hamilton,  The  Recitation,  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company, 
Philadelphia. 

Haslett,  The  Pedagogical  Bible  School,  F.  H.  Revell 
Company,  New  York. 

James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  Henry  Holt  and  Company, 
New  York. 

McMurry,  How  to  Study  and  Teaching  How  to  Study, 
Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  New  York. 

Strayer,  A  Brief  Course  in  the  Teaching  Process,  The  Mac- 
millan  Company,  New  York. 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

Wells,  Sunday-school  Success,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

Exercises 

1.  What  are  the  essentials  of  every  lesson  plan? 

2.  How  do  you  usually  get  ready  for  teaching  a  given 
lesson.'* 

3.  What  do  you  mean  by  "  studying  the  lesson.?  " 

4.  Why  is  it  not  enough  merely  to  study  and  to  know  the 
lesson  in  order  to  teach  it  successfully.?  What  else  must  the 
teacher  know.? 

5.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  plan  the  lesson  before  going  to 
class.? 

6.  What  do  you  do  when  you  make  an  "  assignment  " 
for  the  next  lesson .? 

7.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  "  assignment.?  "  Why  is  it 
necessary .? 

8.  Suppose  you  were  teaching  the  story  of  the  Good 
Samaritan  to  a  class  of  boys  twelve  years  of  age.  What 
"  pivotal  "  questions  would  you  ask  them .? 

9.  Name  several  things  you  ought  to  know  in  addition  to 
the  lesson  text  in  order  to  teach  the  story  of  Joseph  and  his 
brothers  to  a  class  of  boys  fourteen  years  of  age. 

10.  Do  you  plan  your  questions  before  you  go  to  class? 
Do  the  planned  questions  work  better  then  those  asked  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment.?     Why.? 


[67] 


CHAPTER  VI 
Teaching  the  Lesson 

Preparation  to  Teach  the  Lesson 

When  all  necessary  preparation  has  been  made  for 
the  actual  teaching,  then  comes  the  task  of  putting 
into  operation  the  plan  which  the  teacher  has  made. 
This  necessary  preparation  means:  knowing  the  lesson, 
knowing  those  who  are  to  be  taught,  and  knowing  the 
plan  which  has  been  made  to  teach  the  particular  lesson 
to  a  particular  group  of  children.  Familiarity  with 
the  lesson  means  a  thorough  knowledge  of  it  and  a 
certainty  of  its  central  truth  and  thought;  familiarity 
with  the  pupils  means  knowing  them  so  well  that 
their  immediate  needs  are  clear  to  the  teacher;  knowing 
the  plan  of  the  lesson  means  knowing  how  to  adapt 
the  central  truth  and  thought  of  the  lesson  to  the 
immediate  needs  of  the  class  to  be  taught. 

Assigning  or  Giving  the  Lesson 

All  good  Sunday-school  teaching  includes  the  assign- 
ing or  the  giving  of  the  lesson  for  the  following  Sunday. 
Just  a  minute  or  two  before  the  recitation  period  has 
closed,  the  good  teacher  will  tell  her  class  something 
definite  about  the  lesson  for  next  Sunday.  With  very 
young  people  the  assignment  may  best  be  made  at 
the  close  of  the  recitation  or  teaching  period;  but  with 
advanced  pupils  the  beginning  of  the  recitation  period 
is  a  good  time  for  assigning  the  lesson  to  be  studied 
the  next  time.  This  assignment  helps  to  create  interest 
in  the  next  lesson  and  gives  the  class  something  definite 
to  do  in  preparation  for  it.     In  making  this  assignment 

[68] 


TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

the  teacher  should  give  that  Instruction  or  help  which 
will  prepare  the  mind  of  her  class  for  the  new  lesson 
material.  This  instruction  or  help  may  be  in  the  form 
of  a  story,  a  question  to  be  answered  in  the  study  of 
the  lesson,  an  illustration,  or  an  explanation,  or  any 
other  device  or  method  which  will  direct  the  mind  of 
the  class  to  the  new  lesson  in  such  a  way  that  they 
will  be  anxious  to  study  the  lesson,  to  grasp  and 
interpret  it.  Creating  in  the  class  an  intense  desire 
to  know  and  to  understand  the  lesson  for  the  next 
time  is  largely  the  purpose  of  the  assignment.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  whole  teaching 
process.  By  it  the  self-activities  of  the  child  may  be 
excited  and  directed,  the  mind  is  awakened,  the  pupils 
are  set  to  thinking,  and  they  become  curious,  if  the 
assignment  has  been  properly  made,  to  discover  the 
truth  the  next  lesson  is  expected  to  teach.  The  skilful 
teacher  will  use  the  assignment  to  get  the  members  of 
her  class  to  use  what  they  have  and  what  they  know  in 
getting  what  she  wants  them  to  have  and  what  she 
wants  them  to  know.  She  must  remember,  however, 
that  "To  assign  the  lesson  in  accordance  with  the 
ability  of  the  class  to  acquire,  requires  judgment, 
knowledge,  and  a  large  share  of  common  sense." 
Good  assignments  give  definite  aims  to  the  pupils,  save 
time,  encourage  the  children,  and  give  them  a  much 
needed  training  in  the  art  of  studying. 

Reviewing  the  Previous  Lesson 

A  brief  review,  by  means  of  questions  and  suggestions, 
of  the  last  lesson  is  very  helpful.  It  helps  to  fasten 
in  the  minds  of  the  children  the  truth  reached  by  the 
previous  lesson  and  to  link  that  lesson  with  the  present 
lesson.  This  form  of  review  is  as  necessary  as  the 
more  extended  review  at  the  end  of  a  series  of  lessons; 

[69] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

it  is  needed  not  merely  to  refresh  the  memory  of  the 
pupils,  but  to  help  them  to  organize,  connect  and 
associate  the  lesson  materials.  It  helps  to  complete 
the  work  which  the  teacher  is  trying  to  do,  —  to 
organize  the  lesson  truth  in  the  life  of  the  pupils,  and 
by  repetition  of  that  truth,  make  it  a  part  of  the 
equipment  of  the  pupils.  All  Sunday-school  teachers 
should  learn  how  to  make  use  of  this  part  of  the 
recitation  to  greater  advantage. 

Teaching  the  New  Lesson 

The  method  of  teaching  the  lesson  varies  with  the 
purpose,  the  particular  lesson  to  be  taught,  the  pupils, 
and  other  conditions.  But  there  are  general  principles 
which  may  be  followed.  If  the  assignment  of  the 
lesson  for  today  was  properly  made  last  Sunday,  and 
if  the  teacher  this  morning  reviewed  briefly  with  the 
class  the  lesson  studied  last  Sunday,  the  next  thing  is 
to  begin  "teaching"  the  lesson  for  today.  Good 
teaching  is  the  same  everywhere  whether  it  be  in  one 
subject  or  another.  The  Sunday-school  is  suffering 
from  the  false  notion  that,  because  it  is  a  purely 
religious  school  it  must  teach  by  methods  other  than 
those  used  in  other  schools, —  by  methods  peculiar 
to  a  purely  religious  institution.  It  makes  a  mistake 
not  to  use  those  essential  laws  of  teaching  which  are 
successfully  used  in  secular  schools.  Some  of  these 
laws  have  been  conveniently  classified  in  natural  and 
logical  forms.  A  very  popular  and  much  used  form 
for  teaching  the  lesson,  which  may  be  of  help  to  young 
and  inexperienced  teachers,  is  known  as  the  Herbartian 
Plan,^  or  the  so-called  Five  Formal  Steps.     The  steps 

^  Named  from  the  German  philosopher  and  educator  who  lived 
from  1776  to  1841.  He  was  a  close  student  of  the  process  of  edu- 
cation and  from  an  elaboration  of  his  work  we  have  what  we  fre- 

[70] 


TEACHING  THE   LESSON 

are  known  as  Preparation,  Presentation,  Comparison, 
Generalization,  and  Application.  They  will  be  dis- 
cussed briefly  in  their  order,  and  their  use  shown. 

I.  Preparation 

By  this  term  we  do  not  mean  the  same  kind  of 
preparation  we  talked  about  in  the  chapter  on  Planning 
the  Lesson.  The  word  here  is  used  to  mean  the 
preparation  of  the  minds  of  the  pupils  for  the  reception 
of  the  new  lesson  material.  The  lesson  has  already 
been  properly  assigned,  let  us  assume.  The  children 
were  given  something  definite  and  specific  to  look  for 
and  to  do  in  preparation  of  the  new  lesson.  This  was 
the  aim  given  the  pupils.  The  teacher  also  has  an 
aim  in  teaching  the  lesson.  The  aim  of  the  pupils  and 
that  of  the  teacher  may  not  be  the  same,  probably  are 
not  the  same.  The  aim  of  the  pupils  was,  let  us  say, 
to  discover  the  various  steps  by  which  Absalom  came 
to  his  destruction;  the  teacher  may  have  as  her  aim 
the  teaching  of  the  lesson  that  disloyalty  to  one's 
parents  will  bring  ruin.  To  realize  this  aim  the  teacher 
must  prepare  the  minds  of  her  class  for  the  reception 
of  the  new  lesson  material.  This  may  be  done  by  a 
question,  by  a  story,  a  novel  statement,  an  illustration, 
or  any  other  way  which  will  help  to  prepare  the  pupils' 
minds  which  must  be  fitted  for  the  new  truth. 

The  teacher  calls  up  in  their  mind  whatever  they  may 
already  know  about  the  new  lesson  or  anything  that  is 
related  to  it.  "Appropriate  preparation  thus  calls 
up   the   closely   related   truth   formerly   learned,    and 


quently  speak  of  as  the  Five  Formal  Steps  in  teaching.  A  full  dis- 
cussion of  these  steps  and  of  the  recitation  may  be  found  in  Hamilton's 
The  Recitation  (Lippincott  and  Company,  Philadelphia),  DeGarmo's 
Essentials  of  Method  (D.  C.  Heath  and  Company,  Boston),  and 
McMurry's  The  Method  of  the  Recitation  (The  Macmillan  Company, 
New  York),  from  which  the  present  explanation  is  largely  taken. 

[71] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

brings  It  forward  in  the  mind  to  grasp,  interpret  and 
assimilate  the  new  matter.  The  similar  old  facts  are 
aroused  from  their  slumber  and  rush  forward  into 
consciousness,  eager  and  ready  to  receive  the  new  fact, 
which,  ever  afterward,  is  to  be  associated  with  them 
in  the  most  intimate  family  relationship."  So,  the 
teacher  must  call  up  past  experiences,  but  only  those 
which  are  "necessary  for  a  mastery  of  the  new  matter." 
In  other  words,  get  the  class  curious  and  anxious  at 
the  very  beginning  of  the  new  lesson  to  see  the  very 
thing  you  intend  to  bring  to  them. 

II.  Presentation 

Presentation  of  the  subject  matter  of  a  lesson  is  a 
very  important  part  of  the  teaching  process.  The 
minds  of  the  pupils  may  be  properly  prepared  for  the 
new  material  by  the  "assignment,"  and  by  the  "prepa- 
ration" when  the  new  lesson  is  taken  up  in  class;  but 
proper  presentation  of  the  new  material  is  absolutely 
necessary  before  the  new  lesson  can  be  acquired  by  the 
pupils. 

Method  of  Presentation 

In  presenting  the  new  material  several  methods  may 
be  used.  The  question  method  may  be  used,  by  which 
the  pupils  are  asked  questions  on  the  lesson  in  such  a 
way  as  to  make  its  meaning  clear;  or  the  lecture  method, 
by  which  the  teacher  talks  to  the  class,  trying  to 
explain  the  meaning  of  the  lesson.  The  question 
method,  with  suitable  discussion,  is  always  preferable 
to  the  lecture  method.  Whether  the  new  lesson  is 
presented  by  questions,  by  story  telling,  by  the  lecture 
method  and  discussion,  the  purpose  is  always  the  same: 
to  bring  the  lesson  to  the  minds  of  the  members  of 
the  class  so  clearly  that  they  will  get  and  hold  the 

[72] 


TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

thought  that  is  being  taught.  It  is  here  that  the  art 
of  the  genuine  teacher  reveals  itself,  in  unfolding  the 
lesson  material  to  the  minds  of  the  pupils  so  as  to 
direct  them  to  the  climax  of  the  lesson  in  which  the 
main  point  stands  out  clearly.  Whatever  the  lesson, 
the  skilful  teacher  will  direct  the  discussion,  or  ask 
the  questions  on  the  lesson,  so  as  to  bring  to  the 
understanding  of  the  pupils  the  important  part  of  the 
lesson  material. 

Good  Presentation 

When  the  Sunday-school  lesson  is  properly  taught, 
its  presentation  will  be  clear  and  definite,  it  will  be 
logical,  it  will  follow  a  plan  which  the  teacher  has 
already  made,  and  it  will  be  complete. 

1.  By  clearness  of  presentation  we  mean  the  bring- 
ing of  the  important  thoughts  of  the  lesson  from  the 
mass  of  detail  which  surrounds  it  and  holding  these 
thoughts  clearly  before  the  minds  of  the  members  of 
the  class.  To  do  this,  however,  the  teacher  must 
herself  see  the  very  thing  she  wishes  to  teach,  —  the 
thought  or  idea  of  the  lesson;  her  own  thought  must 
be  clear  and  direct;  and  the  language  which  she  em- 
ploys in  her  questions,  stories,  illustrations,  and  ex- 
planations, must  be  simple  enough  for  her  class  to 
understand.  These  requirements  show  how  necessary 
it  is  for  the  teacher  to  plan  the  lesson  before  she  goes 
to  class. 

2.  The  natural  and  logical  relation  of  the  different 
parts  of  the  lesson  must  be  considered  by  the  teacher 
in  her  presentation.  The  proper  relation  of  the  details 
of  the  lesson  story  to  the  main  thought  of  the  lesson, 
and  the  proper  adaptation  of  this  thought  to  the 
ability  of  the  children  in  her  class,  practically  assure 
their  mental  progress.     The  influence  of  the  logical, 

173] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

natural  method  of  presentation  on  the  growing  mind 
Is  also  to  be  considered.  Pupils  who  are  fortunate 
enough  to  have  instructors  who  are  clear  and  logical  in 
their  presentation  will  naturally  acquire  the  very  best 
habits  of  mind  and  of  study. 

3.  The  good  teacher  follows  a  plan  in  presenting 
the  lesson  to  her  pupils.  She  knows  the  lesson,  she 
knows  her  pupils  and  their  needs,  and  she  plans,  in 
her  presentation,  to  adapt  the  truth  of  the  lesson  to 
their  needs.  The  teacher  who  goes  before  her  class 
on  Sunday  without  a  definite  plan  at  this  point  is  sure 
to  fail.  It  is  dangerous  to  trust  to  the  inspiration  of 
the  moment  in  presenting  the  lesson.  The  aim  which 
the  teacher  formulated  for  herself  when  the  lesson 
was  planned  must,  while  she  is  presenting  the  lesson, 
be  kept  constantly  in  view;  and  in  seeking  to  realize 
this  aim  she  must  follow  a  clear,  definite  plan. 

4.  Every  Sunday-school  lesson  must  be  so  skilfully 
presented  as  to  show  completeness.  In  any  lesson 
there  are  essentials  and  non-essentials  in  the  details. 
The  good  teacher  separates  the  important  from  the 
unimportant,  picks  out  the  big  truth  to  be  taught,  sees 
it  as  a  complete  truth,  and  plans  to  present  it  so  as  to 
make  the  important  fact  of  the  lesson  stand  out  as  a 
complete  thought.  The  wise  teacher  disregards  the 
unimportant  details  and  keeps  her  eyes  and  mind  ever 
on  those  points  which  are  essential  to  the  unity  or 
wholeness  of  the  lesson.  This  requires  definite  plan- 
ning in  advance,  however. 

III.  Comparison 

The  third  step  in  the  recitation  is  known  as  com- 
parison, or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  association. 
Every  mental  act  of  whatever  kind  includes  some  form 
of  comparison;  comparison  is  a  natural  and  important 

[74] 


TEACHING  THE   LESSON 

part  of  the  mental  process.  "And  in  judgment  and 
reasoning,  the  highest  forms  of  thought,  It  Is  the 
dominant  factor,  the  very  pivot  upon  which  thought 
turns."  The  ability  to  suggest  comparisons  to  and 
to  direct  the  minds  of  her  pupils  In  making  comparisons 
is  another  test  of  the  good  teacher.  "How  does  the 
ministry  of  John  the  Baptist  compare  with  that  of 
Jesus.?"  "How  do  the  epistles  of  Peter  resemble  the 
epistle  of  John.?"  "In  what  respects  are  the  epistles 
to  Timothy  similar  to  the  epistle  to  Titus,?"  "What 
points  of  resemblance  are  found  in  the  life  of  Samuel 
and  the  life  of  David.?"  are  questions  which  suggest  the 
use  of  comparison  in  the  recitation.  To  answer  any 
of  these  questions  the  pupils  would  require  a  knowledge 
of  the  point  under  Immediate  consideration  and  have 
at  their  disposal  and  use  an  abundance  of  similar  facts 
as  those  which  they  are  now  discussing.  Much  of  our 
teaching  is  done  by  comparison;  and  the  necessity  for 
giving  to  our  students  fixed  and  definite  standards  of 
comparison  is  at  once  evident.  To  give  such  standards 
and  to  train  children  to  use  them,  form,  in  large  meas- 
ure, the  business  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher. 

For  example:  To  answer  the  questions,  "Did  his 
brothers  treat  Joseph  unkindly.?"  "Was  the  conduct 
of  the  older  brother  right  when  his  younger,  prodigal 
brother,  returned  home  to  his  father.?"  "Was  Pilate 
honest?"  "Was  Peter  cowardly?"  "Was  Jacob  de- 
ceitful.?" requires  standards  of  comparison.  Before 
the  child  can  answer  either  of  these  questions  he  must 
apply  his  standards  of  measurement  which  separate 
kind  from  unkind  treatment,  right  from  wrong  conduct, 
honesty  from  dishonesty,  deceit  from  frankness.  Ac- 
curacy of  reasoning,  clearness  of  thinking,  and  sound- 
ness of  judgment,  in  the  end,  depend  on  comparison. 
It  is  here  that  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  can 

[75] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

make  her  efforts  count  for  good:  to  give  a  knowledge 
of  the  principles  of  living  and  of  the  rules  of  conduct, 
and  training  to  apply  these  principles  and  rules  to 
actual  life  conditions,  are  the  aim  of  genuine  Sunday- 
school  teaching;  and  to  teach  this  knowledge  and  use 
of  fixed  standards  is  the  first  great  care  of  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher. 

Association 

This  is  the  name  of  the  process  by  which  one  thought 
or  idea  suggests  another.  It  also  occupies  an  important 
place  in  teaching.  The  mind  is  nothing  if  it  is  not 
associative.  The  laws  of  association  control  practically 
all  our  thinking;  associating  one  experience  in  the  mind 
suggests  another,  that  one  suggests  another,  and  so 
on.  This  action  of  the  mind  seems  to  follow  at  least 
three  primary  laws:  the  law  of  similarity,  the  law  of 
contrast,  and  the  law  of  contiguity. 

1.  The  law  of  similarity  shows  itself  when  one  idea 
suggests  another  like  it.  I  think  of  Absalom  and  his 
conspiracy  against  his  father,  David.  This  may 
suggest  the  plan  of  Jacob  to  deceive  his  father.  From 
this  I  may  think  of  the  ordinary  relationships  between 
father  and  son,  and  soon  I  may  be  thinking  of  "Honor 
thy  father  and  thy  mother  .  .  .";  "A  wise  son  maketh 
a  glad  father  .  .  .";  "A  foolish  son  is  the  calamity  of 
his  father  .  .  .";  "Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children, 
so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him." 

2.  The  law  of  contrast  operates  as  effectively  as  the 
law  of  similarity.  Goodness  may  suggest  its  opposite, 
badness;  an  act  of  justice  may  cause  me  to  think,  in 
contrast,  of  an  act  that  is  unjust;  unselfishness  may 
cause  me  to  think  of  a  very  selfish  man;  the  thought  of 
a  truthful  man  may  remind  me  of  a  man  who  has  a 
reputation  for  not  telling  the  truth,   and   so  on.     I 

[76] 


TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

think  of  Jonathan's  love  for  David,  and  I  am  reminded 
of  Saul's  jealousy  and  hatred  and  attempts  to  kill 
David. 

3.  The  law  of  contiguity  shows  that  ideas  and 
thoughts  which  are  associated  in  time,  place,  or  cir- 
cumstances, may  suggest  one  another.  The  law  is 
very  far-reaching  and  is  of  great  help  to  the  memory 
in  efforts  to  recall.  A  passage  of  scripture  or  a  song 
may  remind  me  of  the  last  time  I  heard  the  passage 
read  or  preached  from  or  the  song  sung;  I  think  of 
the  reader  or  singer,  and  later  of  many  of  the  circum- 
stances connected  with  hearing  him.  I  read  or  hear 
read  the  first  verse  of  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews  and  I  immediately  think  of  a  sermon 
I  once  heard  from  the  text.  I  think  of  the  illustrations 
used  in  the  sermon,  of  the  audience  of  several  hundred 
college  men,  and  of  the  effect  on  them.  The  value  of 
this  law  in  the  mental  process  is  easily  seen. 

Value  of  Association 

A  knowledge  of  these  laws  of  association  is,  after  all, 
of  little  value  to  the  teacher  except  to  explain  to  her 
how  certain  objects  or  ideas  arrange  themselves  in 
consciousness.  It  is  rather  the  fact  of  association  that 
concerns  the  teacher  in  a  practical  way.  "Your 
pupils,"  says  James,  "  whatever  else  they  are,  are  at 
any  rate  little  pieces  of  associative  machinery.  Their 
education  consists  in  the  organizing  within  them  of 
determinate  tendencies  to  associate  one  thing  with 
another,  —  impressions  with  consequences,  these  with 
reactions,  those  with  results,  and  so  on  indefinitely. 
The  more  copious  the  associative  systems,  the  com- 
pleter the  individual's  adaptations  to  the  world."  For 
us  as  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  the  only  very 
useful  practical  lesson  which  comes  from  the  fact  of 

[77] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

association  is  that  the  teacher  should  "impress  the 
class  through  as  many  sensible  channels  as  he  can." 
The  principle  of  multiple  impressions  is  important  in 
Sunday-school  work.  This  is  the  reason  Sunday-school 
teachers  should  do  more  than  talk.  There  should  be 
much  blackboard  work,  map  work,  writing  and  draw- 
ing, the  pupils  should  be  permitted  to  talk  freely  and 
to  discuss  the  lesson,  so  that  a  variety  of  impressions 
may  be  possible  while  the  lesson  is  being  taught.  This 
helps  the  pupils  to  remember  and  also  to  understand. 
Variety  of  impression  is  the  principle  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  should  follow. 

IV.  Generalization 

This  is  the  process  of  reaching  general  truths  or 
principles,  laws  or  definitions,  from  a  study  and  dis- 
cussion of  the  lesson  material.  Whatever  the  truth, 
principle,  law  or  definition,  it  should  be  clearly  formu- 
lated and  definitely  stated,  not  by  the  teacher,  how- 
ever, but  by  the  pupils  under  the  skilful  leadership 
and  direction  of  the  teacher.  The  teacher  should  direct 
the  questions,  illustrations  and  discussions  of  the  class 
in  preparing  the  mind  of  the  class  for  the  new  lesson, 
in  presenting  it,  and  in  working  over  this  new  lesson 
material  in  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the  class  when 
it  is  compared  and  associated  with  other  material. 
To  teach  truths,  principles,  laws  and  definitions  is  the 
aim  of  all  Sunday-school  teaching;  but  the  end  of  this 
teaching  is  the  application  of  those  truths,  principles, 
laws,  and  definitions  to  the  immediate  needs  of  the 
pupils  in  such  a  way  that  their  conduct  and  behavior 
(taken  in  a  broad  sense)  may  be  influenced  and  con- 
trolled. The  use  of  generalizations,  that  is,  laws  of 
conduct,  rules  of  action,  and  principles  of  correct 
living,  is  as  important  as  knowing  them. 

[78] 


TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

The  Teacher*s  Business 

The  forming  or  reaching  of  truths,  principles,  laws, 
and  definitions  must  follow  presentation  and  com- 
parison. After  the  teacher  has  properly  presented  the 
lesson  and  led  the  discussion  on  it,  these  generalizations 
should  be  formulated  and  stated.  By  these  steps  the 
pupils  should  be  led  to  define  and  name  the  main  point 
of  the  lesson.  The  conclusion  of  the  class  or  their 
statement  of  the  point  of  the  lesson,  if  the  lesson  has 
been  properly  taught,  will  be  their  statement  of  the 
same  idea  or  thought  which  the  teacher  chose  as  her 
aim.  The  teacher  should  remember,  however,  that 
the  pupil  should  find  the  truth,  principle,  law,  or  defini- 
tion which  the  teacher  wishes  the  lesson  to  teach, 
rather  than  to  be  told  by  the  teacher  what  the  generali- 
zation is.  Of  course  she  must  direct  and  lead  the 
pupil  to  the  conclusion,  correct  his  wrong  impressions, 
or  reconstruct  misleading  ideas.  This  is  the  teacher's 
business.  But  the  pupil  must  himself  see  and  state 
the  principle. 

V.  Application 

"Whosoever  acquires  knowledge  and  does  not  prac- 
tice it,  resembles  him  who  ploughs  but  does  not  sow." 
"It  is  not  a  question  of  what  a  man  knows,  but  what 
use  he  can  make  of  what  he  knows."  Generalization, 
the  step  which  we  have  just  considered,  gives  truths, 
principles,  laws,  or  definitions.  Application  is  the 
effort  by  which  these  truths,  principles,  and  laws  are 
used;  it  is  the  end  of  Sunday-school  teaching;  and  the 
teacher's  business,  again,  is  to  lead  her  pupils  to  use  in 
their  own  lives  and  experiences  the  new  moral  and 
religious  ideas  and  truths  which  they  get  from  Sunday 
to  Sunday.  It  is  here,  however,  that  we  probably  find 
the  weakest  part  of  our  Sunday-school  teaching,   in 

[79] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

the  failure  to  make  this  provision  for  the  application 
of  the  truths  learned  in  the  Sunday-school.  We  teach 
"Honesty  is  the  best  policy,"  truthfulness,  charity, 
and  kindness,  but  we  do  not  always  show  our  pupils 
how,  in  the  everyday  details  of  their  lives,  it  pays  to 
be  honest,  to  tell  the  truth,  to  be  charitable  and  kind. 
We,  as  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school,  need  to  bring 
to  the  attention  of  our  pupils,  cases  in  which  the  truth 
of  the  individual  lessons  taught  applies  in  their  own 
lives.  And  unless  this  be  done,  Sunday-school  teach- 
ing will  continue  to  be  more  or  less  ineffective.  Moral 
and  religious  knowledge  is  not  a  mere  possession;  it  is 
rather  an  instrument  which  we  are  to  use.  Such 
knowledge,  put  to  proper  use,  helps  to  build  Christian 
character. 

Practical  Suggestions 

1.  Sunday-school  teaching  should  emphasize  the 
actual  practice  of  the  truths,  principles,  laws  and 
definitions  which  are  being  taught  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  rather  than  a  mere  knowledge  of  them.  This 
implies  the  necessity  for  constant,  systematic  reviewing 
and  drilling  in  the  application  of  the  new  truths  learned. 
The  Sunday-school  teacher  who  is  able  to  lead  her 
pupils  to  use  what  they  know  and  to  practice  what 
they  have  learned  there,  is  doing  real  service.  It  is 
more  of  this  kind  of  teaching  that  is  needed  in  the 
Sunday-school. 

2.  The  teaching  and  the  illustration  of  the  truths 
learned  in  the  Sunday-school  should  be  as  concrete  as 
possible.  The  idea  of  "doing  good  for  evil,"  of  bearing 
"one  another's  burdens,"  of  "Blessed  are  the  peace- 
makers," should  be  illustrated  to  the  mind  of  the  pupils 
in  a  definite,  simple,  concrete  fashion,  and  in  terms 
which  they  understand.     Cases  from  the  actual  life  of 

[80] 


TEACHING  THE   LESSON 

the  pupils  should  be  selected  for  these  applications. 
This  implies  the  necessity  of  the  teacher  being  familiar 
with  her  pupils,  and  of  knowing  their  strength  and 
their  weakness,  their  temptations  and  their  limitations. 
This  knowledge  of  the  child  is  most  important  in  the 
proper  application  of  the  lesson  truths. 

3.  The  teacher  should  provide  for  the  practical 
reaction  in'  feeling  and  conduct  of  her  pupils.  This 
can  be  done  by  bringing  to  the  attention  of  her  class 
conditions,  circumstances,  and  cases  in  which  the  truth 
of  the  lesson  can  be  applied.  If  the  child  is  to  gain  from 
a  knowledge  of  a  new  moral  or  religious  truth,  —  if 
he  is  to  grow  morally  and  religiously — he  must  do 
something  himself,  or  think  about  the  new  truth  as 
applied  to  his  own  life.  This  practical  instruction  is, 
after  all,  the  kind  that  tells  for  right  living.  The 
pupils  must  be  given  something  to  do:  they  must  use, 
as  far  as  they  are  able,  the  information  they  gain. 
Without  this  practical  application,  Sunday-school 
teaching  will  not  be  successful.  Sunday-school  teachers 
need  especially  to  show  their  pupils  how  they  can  use 
the  information  and  the  knowledge  which  they  gain 
there. 

Lesson  Plans  Must  be  Adaptable 

The  steps  of  the  recitation  which  we  have  just 
considered,  preparation,  presentation,  comparison, 
generalization,  and  application,  are  not  always  appli- 
cable to  every  Sunday-school  lesson.  Neither  will 
teachers  always  consciously  follow  these  steps  in 
teaching  a  given  lesson.  However,  they  are  important, 
and  young  teachers,  or  teachers  who  have  had  little 
or  no  experience,  will  find  them  a  valuable  guide.  The 
young  or  inexperienced  teacher  will  profit  by  planning 
her   lessons    with    reference    to    these   or    some   other 

[81] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

logical  steps,  not,  to  be  sure,  for  the  purpose  merely 
of  using  such  steps,  but  rather  because  they  help  the 
teacher  understand  the  teaching  process.  Every  well- 
taught  lesson  has  definite  parts  with  different  purposes, 
though  the  teacher  and  the  student  may  not  always 
be  conscious  of  the  part  and  the  purpose.  Some  such 
plan  as  that  described  above,  whether  it  be  known  by 
this  or  some  other  name,  should  be  used  by  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher.  To  follow  such  a  plan,  however,  she 
must  give  to  the  preparation  of  the  lesson  more  time 
and  thought  than  it  now  receives. 

The  Review 

It  has  been  said  that  there  are  certain  methods  and 
features  of  the  public  school  which  cannot  be  used  in 
the  Sunday-school,  and  the  review  or  examination  is 
given  as  one  of  these  features.  But  when  the  real 
purpose  of  the  review  or  examination  is  known,  and 
when  all  Sunday-schools  and  Sunday-school  teachers 
know  how  to  use  it,  it  will  be  found  to  fill  a  real  need 
and  serve  a  vital  purpose  in  this  form  of  education. 
No  time  in  teaching  can  be  spent  more  profitably  than 
the  time  that  is  given  to  the  review. 

Kinds  of  Review 

The  review  in  the  Sunday-school  should  be  of  two 
kinds.  There  should  be  at  the  beginning  of  each 
lesson  a  brief  review  of  the  previous  lesson,  and  at  the 
end  of  each  lesson  there  should  be  a  brief  summary  of 
the  lesson  just  taught,  in  order  to  make  clear,  by 
repetition,  the  important  points  of  the  lesson.  In 
view  of  the  short  teaching  period  in  the  Sunday-school, 
this  kind  of  review  is  particularly  important.  There 
should  also  be  a  review  every  two  or  three  months  on 

[82] 


TEACHING  THE   LESSON 

the  work  covered  during  that  time.  Such  a  review 
should  be  thorough  but  simple  and  practical,  and 
should  not  be  made  a  mere  test  of  memory.  It  should 
become  a  regular  part  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
school  so  that  the  pupils  will  not  become  frightened  at 
its  approach,  and  should  be  required  of  all  except  the 
very  young  pupils.  The  examination  papers  should  be 
read  and  carefully  graded  and  returned  to  the  pupils. 
Some  form  of  recognition  should  be  given  those  who 
do  creditable  work.  This  may  be  done  by  an  announce- 
ment by  the  pastor  or  superintendent;  by  posting  a 
list  of  the  names  of  those  who  are  to  be  promoted, 
or  by  giving  a  certificate  or  diploma  at  the  end  of  a 
number  of  years'  work.  Such  methods,  if  properly 
administered,  will  be  productive  of  wholesome  results. 
All  returns  of  results,  such  as  grades  and  marks  of  any 
kind,  where  reviews  and  examinations  are  customary, 
should  not  be  concealed  from  the  pupils.  The  an- 
nouncement of  grades  or  promotion  of  pupils,  however, 
can  be  made  harmful:  the  children  may  learn  to  work 
for  grades  and  promotion  rather  than  for  the  work 
itself.  But  their  eagerness  to  know  how  successful 
they  have  been  is  perfectly  natural  and  is  a  good  sign. 

Purpose  of  the  Review 

The  examination  in  the  Sunday-school  may  bejusti- 
fied  in  a  number  of  ways.  Many  of  the  reasons  given 
for  having  reviews  or  examinations  in  the  Sunday- 
school  are  the  same  as  those  advanced  for  the  reviews 
or  examinations  in  the  public  school.  Education  is 
education,  and  teaching  is  teaching,  wherever  it  is 
found.  The  purpose  of  the  examination  is  the  same 
everywhere. 

1.  For  the  Sake  of  Organization.  Whether  it  be 
with  reference  to  one  lesson  or  a  series  of  lessons,  some 

[83] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

review  or  examination  is  needed  in  order  to  help  the 
pupil  to  an  organization  of  his  knowledge  and  infor- 
mation. Without  such  an  organization  he  will  not 
be  able  to  see,  in  its  proper  relation,  the  material  which 
he  has  been  studying.  But  a  mere  parrot-like  recital 
of  the  subject  of  the  lesson,  of  the  golden  text,  and  of 
one  or  two  "main  points"  in  each  lesson,  will  not  give 
this  organization.  The  teacher  must  plan  for  the 
examination  or  review  which  will  give  a  connectedness 
to  the  lesson  or  lessons,  just  as  she  would  plan  for  the 
teaching  of  any  one  lesson.  If  the  pupils  have  been 
taught  how  to  study,  such  a  review  will  be  particularly 
helpful  to  them.  It  may  take  the  form  of  an  outline 
on  the  particular  lesson  which  is  being  reviewed,  out- 
lines on  the  lessons  covered  by  the  examination,  the 
writing  out  of  answers  to  questions  suggested  by  the 
teacher  on  a  lesson  or  a  series  of  lessons,  or  the  teacher 
may  assign  topics  to  the  pupils  to  be  studied  and 
discussed  in  class.  Any  method  by  which  the  lesson 
or  a  series  of  lessons  may  appear  well  organized  and 
properly  put  together  may  be  used  by  the  teacher. 
The  pupil  needs  to  be  given  a  proper  perspective  of 
the  work,  whether  it  be  of  one  lesson  or  of  a  number 
of  lessons. 

2.  For  the  Sake  of  Memory.  The  examination  will 
help  to  furnish  a  stimulus  for  thorough  work.  We 
have  already  seen  the  importance  of  "association"  in 
learning.  The  secret  of  a  good  memory  is  the  secret 
of  forming  many  associations  with  each  fact  studied  or 
learned.  This  formation  of  many  associations  may 
be  made  by  frequent  repetition,  —  thinking  as  much  as 
possible  about  the  fact  that  has  been  studied  or  learned. 
The  task  of  the  teacher  is  to  furnish  her  pupils  with 
stocks  of  ideas  and  thoughts.  The  more  her  pupils 
are  taught  to  "think  over"  these  ideas  and  thoughts, 

[84] 


TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

weaving  them  together  in  a  connected  fashion,  the 
better  will  be  their  memory.  The  review,  therefore, 
is  not  to  be  made  a  mere  repetition  in  order  to  "re- 
fresh" the  minds  of  the  pupils;  but  the  good  teacher 
will  use  it  to  strengthen  their  minds.  There  is  at  this 
point  a  very  close  relation  between  reviews  and  the 
formation  of  mental  habits.  The  proper  repetition 
of  a  fact  until  it  is  learned,  makes  that  fact  vivid, 
arouses  interest  in  it,  and  secures  attention  to  it.  One 
motto  of  the  teacher  should  be;  "Arouse  interest,  secure 
attention,  repeat." 

3.  Test  of  the  Teacher's  Work.  Nothing  shows  the 
success  or  failure  of  a  teacher  so  much  as  an  examination 
of  her  pupils.  If  an  examination  of  normal  children 
shows  that  they  remember  little  and  understand  less 
of  what  they  have  been  taught,  this  is  suihcient  proof 
that  the  work  of  the  teacher  has  not  been  well  done. 
There  is  a  close  relation  between  this  reason  for  the 
examination  and  another  reason  so  often  given,  that 
it  tests  the  knowledge  of  the  pupils.  The  examination 
is  necessary  in  order  to  test  the  knowledge  of  the 
pupils  and  the  ability  of  the  teacher  to  teach.  We 
need  in  the  Sunday-school  as  well  as  in  the  public 
school  to  know  how  well  a  thing  is  taught  and  how 
much  of  it  is  learned. 

4.  Test  of  the  Pupil's  Work.  Of  course  the  ex- 
amination should  test  the  pupil's  knowledge,  although 
this  is  not  its  primary  importance.  It  is  the  more 
important,  however,  where  emphasis  is  placed  on  the 
completion  or  the  perfection  of  information  on  a 
certain  subject,  and  on  the  ability  to  use  that  infor- 
mation readily.  On  the  other  hand,  however,  the 
examination  is  not  given  for  the  teacher's  sake  but 
for  the  sake  of  the  pupils;  and  as  "incentives  for  keeping 
in  mind  the  work  that  has  been  pursued  over  an  ex- 

[85] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

tended  period,"  it  should  be  emphasized  in  the  Sunday- 
school  more  than  it  is  today. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Angus,  Ideals  in  Sunday-school  Teaching,  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

Bagley,  The  Educative  Process,  The  Macmillan  Company, 
New  York. 

Brown,  How  to  Plan  a  Lesson,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

DeGarmo,  Essentials  of  Method,  D.  C.  Heath  and  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

DuBois,  The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,  Dodd,  Mead 
and  Company  New  York. 

Gregory,  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,  The  Pilgrim  Press, 
Boston. 

Hamilton,  The  Recitation,  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company, 
Philadelphia. 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

Exercises 

\.  Suppose  you  were  going  to  teach  the  story  of  the  Good 
Samaritan  to  a  group  of  ten-year-old  boys,  (a)  What  aim 
would  you  have.''  (b)  What  aim  would  you  give  the  class. ^ 
(c)  How  would  you  "  assign  "  the  lesson  the  Sunday  before 
you  were  to  teach  it.'*  (d)  Tell  how  you  would  prepare  their 
minds  for  the  lesson  material  when  you  come  to  teach  the 
lesson,  what  questions  you  would  ask,  what  story  or  stories 
you  would  tell,  what  illustrations  you  would  use.  (e)  How 
could  you  provide  for  them  to  apply  the  truth  of  the  lesson.'* 
(These  questions  assume  the  teacher's  thorough  familiarity 
with  her  pupils.) 

2.  What  are  some  of  the  advantages  of  the  question 
method  in  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school.'*  The  lecture 
method.?     What  objections  are  there  to  the  lecture  method.'' 

3.  Suppose  you  had  to  teach  to  a  class  of  boys  or  girls  15 
to  17  years  of  age  the  story  of  the  merchant  seeking  goodly 
pearls  (Matthew  13  :  45-46).  What  existing  ideas  or  no- 
tions of  theirs  would  you  seek  to  change?     What  general 

[86] 


TEACHING  THE   LESSON 

truth  (generalization)  would  you  try  to  reach  with  them? 
What  "  comparisons  "  could  you  use?  What  kind  of  asso- 
ciations would  you  probably  use? 

4.  Outline  the  lesson  for  next  Sunday,  giving  (a)  the  sub- 
ject of  the  lesson;  (b)  the  aim  you  gave  your  class  last  Sun- 
day to  aid  them  in  preparing  the  lesson;  (c)  the  aim  you  will 
have  in  teaching  the  lesson;  (d)  and  indicate  briefly  the  steps 
you  will  try  to  follow  in  realizing  that  aim. 

5.  Why  should  the  teacher  not  have  more  than  one  aim 
for  each  lesson  ? 

6.  Why  is  it  better  to  have  a  class  conclude  after  a  study 
of  the  lesson  that,  for  instance,  "  Honesty  is  the  best  policy," 
than  for  the  teacher  to  tell  this  to  the  class  at  the  beginning  of 
the  lesson? 


[87] 


CHAPTER  VII 

Attention  and  Interest 
Importance 

It  is  very  important  for  the  Sunday-school  teacher  to 
know  the  principles  which  underlie  attention  and 
interest  on  the  part  of  the  pupils,  the  "application  of 
the  mind  to  any  object  of  sense,  representation,  or 
thought,"  and  the  excitement  of  feeling  which  may 
accompany  that  application.  The  relation  between 
them  is  so  close  that  we  cannot  understand  the  one 
without  a  knowledge  of  the  other.  We  always  attend 
to  those  objects,  representations,  or  thoughts,  in  which 
we  have  interest,  those  things  which  concern  us. 
These  principles  apply  as  much  to  Sunday-school 
teaching  as  to  the  teaching  of  any  subject  in  the  public 
schools.  There  are  good  reasons,  however,  why  the 
teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  should  understand  the 
principles  of  interest  and  attention  in  instruction. 
The  prevailing  practice  of  voluntary  teaching  and 
voluntary  attendance  in  the  Sunday-school  has  had  a 
tendency  to  produce  easy-going  methods  there;  and 
the  common  belief  that  because  the  subject  taught 
there  is  the  Bible,  the  children  will,  in  some  mysterious 
manner,  understand  it,  has  made  ideals  of  method  and 
a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  teaching  seem  rather 
unnecessary  for  the  Sunday-school  teacher.  A  brief 
consideration  of  the  basis  of  interest  and  attention  is, 
therefore,  in  order  at  this  point. 

The  Point  of  Contact 

Mr.  DuBois  has  an  excellent  little  book  called  "The 
Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,"  which  every  teacher 

[88] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

in  the  Sunday-school  should  read.^  It  deals  with  the 
natural  way  of  approach  to  the  child's  mind,  which 
"is  a  castle  that  can  be  taken  neither  by  stealth  nor  by 
storm."  It  emphasizes  the  necessity  of  teaching  young 
children  from  the  standpoint  of  their  own  immediate 
interests;  and  it  shows  that  "the  ideal  point  at  which 
a  child's  intelligent  attention"  is  to  be  gained,  or  his 
instruction  to  begin,  is  the  child's  experience  or  contact 
with  life.  Getting  a  point  of  contact,  then,  means 
Hnking  the  life  interests  of  the  child  to  the  thing  which 
he  is  being  taught.  No  instruction  can  begin  until 
this  is  done.  Every  normal  child  has  certain  interests 
which  the  teacher  may  enlarge  or  enrich;  "starting  with 
something  which  the  child  knows  through  experience, 
and  is  therefore  personally  interested  in,"  the  teacher 
may  introduce  him  to  the  subject  which  is  being  taught, 

—  even  though  that  subject  may  at  first  appear  remote, 

—  so  that  there  will  be  a  natural  development  of  his 
interest  in  the  subject  itself.  This  is  a  simple  ele- 
mentary law  of  teaching  which  applies  as  much  to  the 
teaching  of  a  moral  truth  as  to  the  teaching  of  a  fact 
in  history  or  a  law  in  physics.  Start  with  what  the 
child  already  knows  or  is  interested  in;  go  from  the 
known  to  the  unknown  with  him;  connect  his  present 
interests  with  the  lesson  you  are  teaching.  This  is 
getting  a  point  of  contact. 

A  Defect  in  Sunday- School  Teaching 

One  great  fault  in  much  of  our  Sunday-school  teach- 
ing is  found  in  the  failure  to  seek  points  of  contact  with 
our  pupils.  The  materials  and  methods  used  in  teach- 
ing grown-ups  have  too  often  also  been  used  in  teaching 
young  children.     We  have  sought  to  instruct  them  not 

1  Published  by  Dodd,  Mead  and  Company,  New  York.  Seventy- 
five  cents. 

[89] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

only  in  adult  Ideas  but  also  by  adult  methods.  But 
children  are  in  no  respects  miniature  adults;  they  live 
on  a  plane  of  experience  that  arises  from  their  activities 
and  their  contact  with  the  outside  world;  their  ex- 
periences are  all  concrete,  simple,  and  immediate. 
Real,  active,  living  things  are  their  teachers  and 
educators;  and  the  great  principle  for  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  to  observe  is  that  the  instruction  of 
children  must  begin  where  they  come  in  contact  with 
these  real,  living,  active  things,  as  they  see  and  under- 
stand them.  Teaching  young  children  spiritual  ideas 
in  terms  and  words  which  we  sometimes  hear  used  in 
the  Sunday-school  is  a  hopeless  task  and  can  but 
result  in  producing  erroneous  notions  of  religion.  The 
Sunday-school  should  accept  the  results  of  scientific 
studies  of  children  which  have  improved  methods  in 
secular  education.  It  is  ridiculous  to  assume  that, 
because  ideas  are  religious  and  spiritual,  they  will,  in 
some  magical  and  mysterious  fashion,  make  themselves 
clear  to  young  minds,  however  much  beyond  the  plane 
of  the  experience  of  the  children  the  passages  selected 
for  instruction  may  be.  The  natural  way  is  the  safest 
way  in  Sunday-school  teaching. 

Mistaken  Notions  about  Children 

This  defect  in  our  teaching  is  due  in  large  measure 
to  our  mistaken  notions  about  child  life.  Children  fail 
to  understand  many  of  the  truths  which  we  undertake 
to  teach  in  the  Sunday-school  because  these  truths 
are  not  presented  in  an  order  consistent  with  the  mental 
ability  of  those  who  are  being  taught.  Although  they 
have  learned  a  great  many  things  by  that  time,  six- 
year-old  children  know  much  less  than  we  suppose 
they  do  about  things  we  try  to  teach  them.  There 
are,   to  be  sure,   many  points  of  contact  with  most 

[90] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

children,  many  ways  of  approach  to  their  minds.  But 
false  notions  of  their  plane  of  experience  have  been 
responsible  for  much  that  has  been  accounted  a  failure 
in  the  Sunday-school.  Sunday-school  teachers  need 
to  know  the  main  principle  by  which  children  receive 
things  into  their  minds. 

Apperception 

This  is  the  word  which  psychology  uses  to  define 
and  name  a  very  simple  matter.  The  word  means 
nothing  more  than  the  manner  or  process  by  which 
the  mind  receives  new  things.  The  rule  is  simple: 
children  learn  new  things  in  terms  of  old  things,  things 
which  they  already  know.  No  more  important 
principle  was  ever  laid  down  for  the  teacher  in  any 
school  than  the  one  which  says  to  her:  "Bring  your 
instruction  down  to  the  apperceptive  basis  of  the  child, 
down  to  the  plane  on  which  he  can  understand  what 
you  are  trying  to  teach  him."  The  teaching  of  any 
new  knowledge  then  rightly  becomes  a  development 
of  knowledge  which  the  child  already  has.  His 
knowledge  of  facts  of  any  kind  and  his  way  of  looking 
at  things  must  be  understood,  if  the  teacher  expects 
to  widen,  expand  and  enrich  the  child's  information 
and  to  control  and  influence  his  action  and  conduct. 
It  is  here  that  we  find  the  danger  of  "shooting  over  the 
heads"  of  our  pupils. 

Importance  of  this  Law  for  the  Teacher 

It  is  very  important  that  every  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  keep  this  principle  in  mind.  Her  lesson  plans 
should  always  be  made  with  reference  to  the  operation 
of  this  law.  If  it  were  possible  for  the  teacher  to  know 
the  mental  content  of  her  pupils,  if  she  knew  what  they 

[91] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

know  and  what  they  do  not  know,  it  would  prove  of 
great  help  to  her.  This  knowledge  would  enable  her 
to  learn  the  direction  of  their  interests,  their  ability  to 
use  and  understand  words, ^  to  name  objects  correctly, 
the  manner  by  which  they  classify  and  arrange  the 
materials  or  objects  they  are  already  familiar  with. 
In  this  way  the  teacher  would  know  what  she  has  to 
work  with,  and  what  she  may  or  may  not  assume  of  her 
pupils.  She  would  know  the  defects  of  the  experiences 
of  the  children  she  teaches,  and  with  what  materials  the 
instruction  which  she  wishes  to  give  them  is  directly 
or  even  indirectly  connected. 

What  Do  Children  Know? 

It  is  possible  for  the  teacher  to  learn  in  a  general  way 
what  her  pupils  know.  Careful  and  scientific  investi- 
gations of  the  content  of  the  minds  of  children  have 
been  made  and  are  easily  accessible.  Such  a  contri- 
bution to  a  knowledge  of  child  life  and  child  develop- 
ment has  done  much  to  improve  methods  of  teaching 
in  the  secular  school.  The  following  paragraphs  will 
serve  to  show  how  little  certain  American  children, 
six  years  of  age  and  entering  school,  knew  about 
certain  common,  ordinary  things.  Of  the  number 
examined 

Fifty-four  per  cent,  did  not  know  what  a  sheep  was, 
sixty-one  per  cent,  had  never  seen  potatoes  growing, 
thirty-five  per  cent,  did  not  know  what  clouds  were, 

^  It  has  been  shown  that  the  ability  of  children  to  use  words  which 
they  understand  varies  greatly.  "The  vocabulary  of  a  slum  child 
of  five  did  not  extend  beyond  two  or  three  dozen  words;  on  the  other 
hand,  it  was  found  that  an  average  child  of  five  from  a  good  middle- 
class  home  had  command  of,  or  understood,  not  less  than  a  thousand 
English  words,  while  bright  children  carried  the  number  to  one 
thousand  five  hundred  or  even  to  two  thousand."  Rusk,  Introduction 
to  Experimental  Education,  Longmans,  Green  and  Company,  p.  74. 

[92] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

forty-eight  per  cent,  did  not  know  what  a  river  was, 
thirty-five  per  cent,  did  not  know  what  a  circle  was, 
sixty-two  per  cent,  did  not  know  what  a  spade  was,  and 
fifty  per  cent,  did  not  know  where  butter  comes  from.^ 

Thirty-five  per  cent,  of  city  children  six  years  of  age 
had  never  been  in  the  country;  twenty  per  cent,  did  not 
know  where  milk  comes  from;  forty-seven  per  cent, 
had  never  seen  a  pig;  from  thirteen  to  eighteen  per  cent, 
"did  not  know  where  their  cheek,  forehead,  or  throat 
was,  and  fewer  yet  knew  elbow,  wrist,  ribs,  etc."^ 

Some  of  the  misconceptions  in  the  minds  of  children, 
disclosed  by  similar  Investigations,  were:  "Butterflies 
make  butter,  butter  Is  said  to  come  from  buttercups; 
grasshoppers  give  grass;  kittens  grow  on  pussy-willow; 
all  honey  Is  from  honey-suckles;  and  even  a  poplin 
dress  Is  made  of  poplar-trees."^ 

A  number  of  children  from  six  to  ten  years  of  age 
were  asked: 

"  Why  should  we  be  good.?  " 

"What  is  Sunday  for.?" 

"  Where  is  heaven.?  " 

"  What  do  children  do  in  heaven.?  " 

"  What  do  angels  do.?  " 

and  some  of  the  answers  to  the  questions  were:  "Angels 
wear  plain  white  clothes,  and  don't  look  stylish." 
"Have  nice  hair  and  wear  nice  gowns."  "Angels 
come  down  and  tell  men  when  they  burn  sheep  what 
to  do."4 

^  Rusk,  Introduction  to  Experimental  Education,  p.  75. 

2  DuBois,  The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,  p.  26. 

3  Rusk,  Introduction  to  Experimental  Education,  p.  77. 
*  DuBois,  The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,  p.  27. 


[93] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

The  Significance  of  These  Facts 

Such  facts  as  these  show  how  poorly  furnished  is  the 
mind  of  the  average  child  for  many  of  the  lessons  we 
try  to  teach  him  in  the  Sunday-school  and  for  most  of 
the  methods  used  there.  How  much  meaning  for  most 
children  is  there  in  the  Ten  Commandments,  the 
Beatitudes,  the  Twenty-Third  Psalm,  or  such  verses 
as  "Whosoever  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased;  and 
he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted";  "My  son, 
give  me  thine  heart";  "In  all  points  tempted  like  as  we 
are,  yet  without  sin";  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart: 
for  they  shall  see  God";  "Keep  the  door  of  my  lips"; 
"Jesus  said  unto  her,  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the 
life"?  Consider  how  hard  it  is  to  get  "points  of  con- 
tact" with  a  great  deal  that  we  have  to  teach  in  the 
Sunday-school,  and  how  difficult  it  often  is  even  for  us 
adults  to  understand.  Few  children  can  be  made  to 
feel  adequate  and  safe  meanings  of  such  figures  as 
"If  thine  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast  it  from 
thee";  "My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord";  "Man 
looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord 
looketh  on  the  heart."  These  facts  also  emphasize  the 
necessity  for  knowing  the  pupils  we  teach,  and  making 
preparation  for  teaching  them,  —  planning  to  make  and 
keep  "points  of  contact." 

Inattention 

What  is  the  first  thing  you  plan  to  do  in  teaching 
a  lesson.?  Are  your  pupils  ever  inattentive.?  The 
first  thing  every  good  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school 
should  do  in  planning  to  teach  a  lesson  is  to  get  a 
point  of  contact:  to  bring  the  lesson  thought  to  the 
attention  of  her  pupils  through  their  present  interests. 
Inattention  means  the  failure  to  secure  this  point  of 
contact.     The  habit  of  using  their  present  interests,  of 

[94] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

securing  at  the  outset  and  maintaining  points  of  contact 
throughout  the  entire  lesson,  is  one  of  the  first  habits 
Sunday-school  teachers  should  seek  to  form.  When 
the  pupils  fail  to  attend  to  the  lesson,  the  teacher  has 
failed  to  connect  their  immediate  interests  and  the 
lesson  she  is  teaching. 

Kinds  of  Attention 

There  are  two  kinds  of  attention:  voluntary,  or  that 
which  requires  will  power,  and  spontaneous  or  natural. 

1.  Voluntary  attention  is  very  uncertain  and  un- 
stable, is  given  with  effort  and  is  directed  by  the  will, 
and  can  sustain  itself  for  only  a  short  time.  It  is  the 
kind  of  attention  which  a  teacher  gets  when  she 
commands  It  in  a  loud  or  unusual  voice,  or  when  she 
begs  her  pupils  "to  be  quiet  and  pay  attention  to  the 
lesson,"  or  when  she  threatens,  or  when  she  snaps  her 
finger  for  attention.  If  the  subject  for  which  the 
teacher  seeks  the  attention  of  her  class  is  not  naturally 
interesting  to  them,  their  minds  will  soon  be  wandering 
again  after  she  has  for  the  moment  secured  this  kind 
of  attention.  They  will  be  pulled  to  other  things  than 
the  lesson.  It  is  here  that  the  teacher  reveals  ability 
or  lack  of  ability  to  teach.  If  she  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  child  life  In  general,  and  a  more  particular 
knowledge  of  the  children  she  is  teaching,  she  will  know 
how  to  get  points  of  contact  between  their  Interests 
and  the  lesson  she  is  teaching.  If  a  variety  of  move- 
ment be  given  the  subject  matter,  "if  the  subject  be 
made  to  show  new  aspects  of  itself,  to  prompt  new 
questions;  in  a  word,  to  change,"  the  pupils  will  "take 
an  interest"  and  give  attention.  But  voluntary 
attention  is  not  sufficient. 

2.  Spontaneous  or  natural  attention  is  that  which 
children   show   when   they   are   drawn   naturally   and 

[95] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

without  effort  to  some  object,  idea  or  thought.  It 
depends  on  the  interests  of  the  children.  Children 
give  attention  to  things  in  order  that  they  may  under- 
stand them;  they  concentrate  or  place  their  mind  on 
an  object  or  sensation  in  order  to  get  some  meaning 
out  of  it.  That  object  or  idea  which  gets  their  atten- 
tion at  once  has  in  it  something  they  want  to  under- 
stand, something  that  has  an  interest  for  them.  New 
things  to  look  at,  or  new  sounds  to  hear,  the  sudden 
opening  of  the  door,  a  noise  on  the  outside,  and  a 
number  of  other  sensations,  provoke  spontaneous 
attention  and  may  keep  it.  Those  things  which  show 
life  and  movement  are  the  things  naturally  interesting 
to  children.  This  law  in  child  life  suggests  the  need 
for  making  the  instruction  of  children  as  objective  and 
as  concrete  as  possible:  the  blackboard  should  be  used 
and  there  should  be  much  story-telling.  The  native 
interests  of  children  may  be  connected  with  the  interests 
which  the  teacher  has  in  mind:  "Any  object  not 
interesting  in  itself  may  become  interesting  through 
becoming  associated  with  an  object  in  which  an  interest 
already  exists."     Here  is  the  task  for  the  teacher  again. 

Using  the  Child's  Native  Interests 

Some  of  the  native  interests  and  tendencies  which 
may  be  of  help  to  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  are: 

Curiosity 

This  tendency  is  very  closely  associated  with  interest 
and  attention:  curiosity  causes  attention,  and  attention 
arouses  or  produces  interest.  The  mind  of  the  child 
naturally  likes  to  be  active  and  curious.  The  puzzlitig 
questions  which  children  ask  illustrate  this  tendency. 
Curiosity  is  the  tendency  to  discover  merely  for  the 
sake  of  finding  out;  and  the  business  of  the  teacher  is 

[96] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

to  guide  it  into  desirable  channels  and  on  useful  things. 
It  should  be  stimulated  by  all  legitimate  means. 
Young  children  give  attention  to  every  new  impression 
that  reaches  them.  The  advantage  of  object-teaching, 
of  illustration,  and  of  blackboard  work,  appears  here. 
Some  of  the  most  beneficial  appeals  that  the  teacher 
can  make  can  be  through  objects  shown  or  by  acts 
described  or  performed.  If  properly  directed  curiosity 
can  be  made  to  serve  a  good  purpose  to  the  teacher. 
She  should  remember,  too,  that  it  is  nearly  as  easy  to 
direct  the  curiosity  of  children  to  really  useful  things 
and  the  worthy  interests  of  life  as  to  the  worthless  and 
trifling  things.  The  criticism  is  now  and  then  made 
that  children  satisfy  their  curiosity  with  unworthy  and 
ignoble  things  because  their  curiosity  is  frequently 
denied  the  worthy  and  noble  ones. 

Fear 

Fear  is  an  instinct  which  has  largely  lost  its  educative 
importance  by  the  time  children  reach  the  sixth  or 
seventh  year.  It  seems  to  be  universal  in  children, 
however,  and  was  appealed  to  more  in  the  past  than 
it  is  at  present.  It  is  the  mother  of  superstition  and 
in  its  primitive  form  breeds  selfishness  and  weakness. 
Those  fears  which  fill  the  mind  with  dread  accomplish 
no  lasting  good,  but  it  is  well  to  remember  that  there 
are  rational  fears.  The  problem  of  the  teacher  is  to 
detach  fear  from  the  objects  which  once  aroused  it, — 
fear  of  the  unknown,  of  the  dark,  of  certain  strange 
animals,  of  the  "bogey-man" — and  to  attach  it  to 
other  objects,  —  fear  of  failure,  of  sin,  of  the  disapproval 
of  the  teacher,  or  of  parents,  or  pastor,  or  of  one's 
companions  and  classmates. 

Imitation 

Invention  and  imitation  are  the  two  legs  .says  James, 
[97] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

on  which  the  human  race  historically  has  walked. 
Imitation  may  be  conscious  or  unconscious;  it  is  the 
copying  of  another's  conduct  or  behavior,  or  the 
reproduction  of  something  seen.  The  tendency  shows 
itself  in  a  number  of  ways,  and  is  closely  akin  to  the 
tendency  of  emulation  and  rivalry  described  below. 
A  smiling  teacher  can  have  a  smiling,  cheerful  class; 
a  sour,  petulant,  captious  word  or  action  may  reproduce 
itself  in  the  class.  Although  this  tendency  is  most 
pronounced  during  the  earlier  years  of  the  child,  its 
power  persists  in  most  individuals  for  a  long  time. 
By  it  most  children  learn,  by  it  they  are  mentally 
influenced,  their  mental  states  being  determined  largely 
by  those  with  whom  they  associate  most  freely.  It  is 
a  tendency  which  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school 
can  use  to  great  advantage  if  she  understands  child 
nature  sufficiently. 

Emulation 

This  is  the  tendency  to  imitate  the  behavior,  con- 
duct, or  action  of  another  so  as  not  to  appear  inferior. 
It  is  perfectly  natural  for  all  of  us  to  wish  not  to  be  so 
very  unlike  others  about  us:  "we  wish  not  to  be  lonely 
or  eccentric,  and  we  wish  not  to  be  cpt  off  from  our 
share  in  things  which  to  our  neighbors  seem  desirable 
privileges."  The  Sunday-school  teacher  can  use  this 
tendency  to  great  advantage.  "To  get  to  Sunday- 
school  as  early  as  John,"  "to  give  as  good  attention  to 
the  lesson  as  Henry  gives,"  "to  know  my  lesson  as  well 
as  Mary  knows  her  lesson,"  "to  recite  my  verse  as  well 
as  Sarah  recites  her  verse,"  —  these  are  motives  which 
are  perfectly  wholesome  in  Sunday-school  teaching  and 
may  be  legitimately  appealed  to  by  the  teacher.  The 
sight  of  effort  in  another  may  awaken  and  keep  effort 
in  ourselves:  the  teacher  approves  John's  conduct,  his 

[98] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

recitation  of  a  verse  of  scripture,  his  answer  to  a 
question,  or  his  general  conduct,  and  immediately 
others  in  the  class  crave  the  same  approval  and  strive 
for  it.  Not  only  will  children  emulate  others,  but  they 
can  be  taught  to  emulate  themselves,  that  is,  their 
former  selves,  to  make  improvement  in  their  work  over 
a  former  time.  The  tendency  is  so  powerful  an  ally 
for  the  teacher  that  she  can  ill  afford  not  to  use  it. 
It  is  at  this  point,  too,  that  the  argument  in  favor  of 
some  form  of  recognition  of  superior  work  in  the 
Sunday-school,  such  as  prizes,  and  distinctions,  may 
be  made. 


Pugnacity  and  Pride 

Although  these  tendencies  have  been  called  unworthy 
passions,  there  are  refined  forms  of  them  which  may 
be  used  in  all  teaching,  In  the  Sunday-school  as  well 
as  the  public  school.  But  by  pugnacity  and  pride  we 
do  not  mean  physical  combativeness,  but  an  unwilling- 
ness to  be  defeated  by  difficulty.  It  is  foolish  to 
suppose  that  every  lesson  in  the  Sunday-school  can 
be  interesting  to  the  pupils;  there  are  times  when  the 
fighting  element  in  the  children  must  be  used.  The 
child  may  be  led  to  be  ashamed  of  being  late,  of  not 
knowing  his  lesson,  of  not  giving  reverent  attention 
to  the  lesson  story  that  is  being  told,  of  not  having 
his  lesson  book;  "rouse  his  pugnacity  and  pride,  and 
he  will  rush  at  the  difficult  places  with  a  sort  of  inner 
wrath  at  himself  that  is  one  of  the  best  moral  faculties. 
A  victory  scored  under  such  conditions  becomes  a 
turning-point  and  crisis  of  his  character.  It  represents 
the  high-water  mark  of  his  powers,  and  serves  there- 
after as  an  Ideal  pattern  for  his  self-imitation.  The 
teacher  who  never  rouses  this  sort  of  pugnacious  excite- 

[99] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

ment  In  his  pupils  falls  short  of  one  of  the  best  forms  of 
usefulness."^ 

Other  Tendencies 

The  foregoing  list  of  a  few  of  the  more  useful  tenden- 
cies, impulses,  capacities,  or  reactions  found  in  children, 
may  be  sufficient  to  indicate  their  use  to  teachers  in 
the  Sunday-school.  There  are  others,  however,  which 
may  be  briefly  mentioned  at  this  point,  which  serve 
as  a  means  of  indirect  instruction. 

Ownership,  the  Collecting  Tendency 

Nearly  all  children  collect  something,  and  the  instinct 
of  ownership  seems  to  appear  early.  Objects  which 
may  not  be  very  interesting  in  themselves  may  be 
the  means  of  acquiring  interest  in  more  worthy  objects. 
A  collector  of  stamps,  of  coupons,  of  pictures,  of  shells, 
etc.,  may  later  become  a  collector  of  important  facts, 
of  verses  of  scripture,  of  information  concerning  Bible 
customs  or  Bible  geography,  which  may  prove  to  be 
very  useful.  The  tactful  teacher  will  use  this  tendency 
to  get  the  pupils  to  learn  Bible  verses,  to  keep  neat 
lesson  books,  and  to  acquire  an  interest  in  much  that 
is  historical  and  geographical  in  the  lesson  material. 

Play 

This  is  a  tendency  or  an  activity  which  is  followed 
for  the  pleasure  or  satisfaction  which  the  tendency  or 
activity  itself  affords.  Normal  children  are  instinc- 
tively active;  and  when  the  vitality  characteristic  of 
young  children  disappears,  the  value  of  play  as  an 
educative  agency  will  also  disappear.  There  are  some 
very  natural  objections  to  play  as  an  ally  or  help  in  the 

^  James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  p.  55. 

[100] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

Sunday-school  or  even  the  public  school.  It  is  not 
altogether  true,  however,  that  the  child  should  not  be 
forced  to  do  something  which  he  does  not  want  to  do. 
Yet  the  play  spirit  does  have  a  place,  with  very  young 
children,  even  in  the  Sunday-school  room.  And  if 
properly  controlled  and  properly  used  there  is  not  the 
slightest  danger  of  cultivating  habits  of  irreverence  or 
carelessness.  Dramatization,  for  example,  under  a 
careful  and  skilful  teacher,  can  be  used  to  advantage 
in  classes  of  very  young  children  in  the  Sunday-school, 
just  as  instruction,  in  a  play  form,  is  often  given  in 
the  public  school. 

Tendency  to  Repeat 

There  seems  to  be  a  natural  tendency  in  children  to 
repeat,  —  to  repeat  actions,  to  do  things  over  and  over. 
And  because  repetition  is  an  important  means  to 
learning,  it  is  possible  by  this  tendency  for  the  teacher 
to  establish  in  children  certain  forms  of  very  beneficial 
behavior.  When  properly  utilized  as  a  means  of 
imparting  knowledge  and  of  forming  useful  habits  it 
becomes  very  serviceable  to  Sunday-school  work. 

The  Teacher's  Working  Capital 

These  native  interests  of  children  which  have  been 
described  in  the  foregoing  pages  are  practically  all 
the  teacher  has  to  begin  with.  Her  task  then,  as  has 
already  been  pointed  out,  is  to  appeal  to  these  present 
interests.  When  they  are  properly  appealed  to, 
attention  in  the  class  will  most  likely  take  care  of  itself. 
Making  the  lesson  material  interesting  does  not  mean 
amusing  or  entertaining  the  pupil;  efforts  to  make  the 
lesson  "interesting"  or  "entertaining"  may  awaken 
interest  in  the  wrong  thing.  Stories  which  do  not 
lead  away  from  the  point  of  the  lesson  may  be  used; 

[101] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

and  illustrations,  properly  used,  are  helpful.  But  if 
the  lesson  material  has  been  properly  selected,  it 
already  has  some  inherent,  natural  interest  for  the 
child.  The  teacher  should  remember  that  she  does 
not  have  to  create  interest,  but  to  develop  that  which 
already  exists  in  those  she  is  teaching.  The  pupils  are 
already  interested  in  something:  this  is  the  place  for 
the  teacher  to  start.  Interesting  the  pupil  and  getting 
him  to  understand  the  lesson  are  one  and  the  same 
thing;  and  an  object,  a  lesson,  or  an  idea,  which  in 
itself  is  not  interesting,  may,  if  the  teacher  is  skilful, 
be  made  interesting  by  associating  it  with  an  object, 
a  lesson,  or  an  idea  in  which  there  is  interest.  The 
teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  should  learn  to  set 
desirable  copies  for  imitation;  to  give  the  curious 
tendency  in  children  something  worthy  and  noble  to 
pry  into  and  to  explore;  and  to  give  the  fighting  element 
in  boys  something  worth  while  to  defeat.  A  fighter  of 
boys  may  later  become  a  fighter  of  wrongs ! 

Practical  Suggestions 

There  are  certain  external  ways  of  arousing  and 
keeping  attention  which  may  be  regarded  as  perfectly 
legitimate  and  wholesome.  Children  are  naturally 
interested,  we  have  learned,  in  new  things,  active  and 
moving  things,  new  ways  of  doing  and  saying  things, 
and  this  principle  finds  its  proof  in  certain  methods  and 
devices  which  have  become  well  established  in  good 
Sunday-school  teaching. 

1.  First  of  all  the  teacher  must  herself  be  alert  and 
active;  she  must  take  the  lesson,  just  like  a  story,  from 
point  to  point,  until  it  reaches  the  climax  or  the  thought 
which  it  seeks  to  teach.  She  must  change  her  way  and 
method  of  asking  questions,  for  example,  seeking  out 
the  listless  ones   and   giving  them   something  to   do. 

[102] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

Activity  is  the  thing  the  teacher  should  seek:  put  the 
old  in  the  new,  the  new  in  terms  of  old,  introducing  a 
subject  which  may  seem  remote  from  the  child's 
interests  in  terms  with  which  he  is  already  familiar, 
mentioning  concrete  and  definite  examples  in  which 
the  child  may  have  an  interest. 

2.  Remember  that  interest  is  a  condition  to  and 
attention  a  result  of  good  teaching.  Attention  in  the 
class  is  usually  fair  proof  that  good  teaching  goes  on  there. 

3.  Remember  also  that  you  are  having  a  great  deal 
to  do  with  helping  your  pupils  form  mental  habits. 
If  not  habits  of  attention  then  habits  of  inattention  are 
being  formed  in  your  class.  If,  therefore,  you  cannot 
have  attention.  It  Is  better  not  to  try  to  teach.  "At- 
tention is  the  one  habit  of  the  mind  which  perhaps  more 
than  any  other,  forms  a  safeguard  for  intellectual 
progress;  .  .  .  Every  time  a  child  comes  into  your 
class,  this  habit  is  either  strengthened  or  weakened." 

4.  See  that  all  distractions  to  attention  are  removed. 
If  your  class  cannot  have  a  room  to  itself,  then  separate 
It  from  the  other  classes  if  by  nothing  more  than  a 
curtain  or  a  screen.  Get  rid,  first  of  all,  of  all  those 
distractions  to  attention  which  lie  within  your  power 
to  remove. 

5.  The  physical  conditions  of  the  room  may  have 
something  to  do  with  attention  in  your  class.  If  the 
seats  are  not  comfortable,  if  the  air  is  not  good,  if  the 
light  and  heat  of  the  room  are  not  wholesome,  you 
need  not  expect  the  best  results  from  your  work. 

6.  The  children  should  be  seated,  if  possible.  In  a 
semicircle,  so  that  the  teacher  can  see  and  be  near  to 
each  of  them.  When  they  are  seated  in  a  straight 
row  those  at  either  end  and  furthest  away  from  the 
teacher  may  feel  neglected.  This  is  a  dangerous  state 
of  mind  for  young  children  to  get  in. 

[103] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

7.  See  that  the  administrative  part  of  the  school 
does  not  interrupt  your  teaching.  The  class  should 
not  be  disturbed  by  the  secretary  of  the  school  or  any 
assistant  in  collecting  the  contribution  or  report  of  the 
class.  Send  your  report  and  contribution  to  the 
secretary  at  the  end  of  the  teaching  period  or  before 
you    begin   your   teaching.     This    is   very   important. 

8.  Every  class  should  have  a  blackboard  if  possible; 
it  is  a  valuable  aid  to  teaching  and  a  great  help  in 
keeping  attention.  Both  young  and  old  like  active, 
moving  things.  Small,  movable  blackboards,  either 
on  standards  or  on  the  wall,  will  answer  your  purpose, 
though  if  you  have  a  room  of  your  own,  the  blackboard 
should  be  built  into  one  side  of  the  room.  The  smaller, 
movable  one  can  be  secured  at  small  expense  from 
dealers  in  school  furniture. 

9.  Learn  to  use  effective  illustrations  and  to  tell 
stories  to  your  children.  The  practice  that  is  necessary 
to  acquire  proficiency  in  this  part  of  teaching  will  serve 
you  well.  Be  sure,  however,  that  your  illustrations 
and  stories  are  within  the  range  of  your  pupils'  ex- 
perience, and  more  familiar  to  them  than  the  thought 
which  you  are  trying  to  teach.  Study  some  good  book 
on  story-telling.^  Some  of  the  most  effective  lessons 
we  teach  or  learn  are  not  always  in  the  form  of  a  lesson 
but  in  the  form  of  illustrations  and  stories. 

10.  Make  use  of  pictures  which  will  help  to  make 
Bible  lessons  real  and  vivid;  masterpieces  of  religious 
art,  such  as  Hofman's  "Christ  and  the  Rich  Young 
Ruler,"  "Christ  Among  the  Doctors,"  Plockhorst's 
"The  Good  Shepherd,"  Raphael's  "The  Sistine  Ma- 
donna," and  others;  maps  of  various  kinds;  and  use 
any  other  helps  that  may  be  of  service  in  creating  real 
interest  in  the  usual  work  of  the  class. 

^  See  list  of  books  at  end  of  this  chapter. 

[104] 


ATTENTION  AND   INTEREST 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER   STUDY 

Books 

Adams,  Primer  on  Teaching,  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New 
York. 

Athearn,  The  Church  School,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Bagley  and  Colvin,  Human  Behavior,  The  Macmillan 
Company,  New  York. 

Bryan,  How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children,  Houghton  Mifflin 
Company,  New  York. 

Coe,  Education  in  Religion  and  Morals,  F.  H.  Revell 
Company,  New  York. 

DuBois,  The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,  Dodd,  Mead 
and  Company,  New  York. 

Fitch,  The  Art  of  Securing  and  Holding  Attention,  A. 
Flanagan  Company,  Chicago. 

Haslett,  The  Pedagogical  Bible  School,  F.  H.  Revell  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Hervey,  Picture  Work,  F.  H.  Revell  Company,  New  York. 

Houghton,  Telling  Bible  Stories,  Charles  Scribner's  Sons, 
New  York. 

James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  Henry  Holt  and  Company, 
New  York. 

King,  The  Psychology  of  Child  Development,  University 
of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago. 

Kirkpatrick,  Fundamentals  of  Child  Study,  Houghton 
Mifflin  Company,  New  York. 

Smith,  Games  and  Plays  for  Children,  A.  Flanagan  Com- 
pany, Chicago. 

Strayer,  A  Brief  Course  in  the  Teaching  Process,  The 
Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Wells,  Sunday-school  Success,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

Wyche,  Some  Great  Stories  and  How  to  Tell  Them,  New- 
som  and  Company,  New  York. 

Exercises 

1.  What  are  some  of  the  distractions  to  attention  in  your 
class  that  you  can  remove.'' 

2.  Is  interest  an  end  or  a  means  to  education  .'* 

[105] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

3.  Why  will  pupils  usually  pay  better  attention  to  what  a 
teacher  does  than  to  what  the  same  teacher  says  ? 

4.  What  are  the  principal  features  of  a  good  story? 

5.  What  do  you  understand  by  "  indirect  teaching"  ? 

6.  What  is  the  objection  to  popping  the  finger  in  order  to 
get  the  attention  of  the  class? 

7.  What  is  your  criticism  of  this:  A  teacher  said  to  a 
little  boy  who  was  inattentive  and  inclined  to  be  troublesome 
in  class,  "  John,  I  cannot  love  little  boys  who  don't  pay  at- 
tention to  the  teaching  of  the  word  of  God.  Now,  will  you 
please  be  quiet?  " 

8.  How  would  you  get  a  "  point  of  contact  "  with  a  class 
of  fifteen-year  old  girls  in  teaching  the  parable  of  the  Wedding 
Guests  (Luke  14:  7-14)? 

9.  In  what  way  do  the  instincts  (natural  tendencies) 
furnish  a  basis  for  moral  and  religious  instruction? 

10.  How  can  you  use  the  instinct  of  imitation  in  your  class? 

11.  What  are  the  arguments  for  and  against  a  system  of 
awards,  prizes,  and  distinctions  in  Sunday-school  work? 

12.  Can  you  name  any  troublesome  things  which  children 
do  in  Sunday-school  classes  which  may  be  explained  by  bad 
health,  or  by  bad  conditions  in  their  homes  or  in  the  class- 
room? 


[106] 


CHAPTER  VIII 
The  Art  of  Questioning 
Teaching  Defined 

Teaching  may  be  defined  as  the  art  of  stimulating 
mental  growth,  or  the  art  of  communicating  knowledge. 
This  knowledge  may  be  fact,  a  truth,  a  religious  prin- 
ciple, or  the  process  of  an  activity.  The  process  of 
teaching  may  take  place  by  the  use  of  words,  signs, 
symbols,  actions,  or  by  examples.  Whatever  the  things 
taught,  the  aim  of  teaching,  or  the  method  used  in  the 
teaching,  the  process  Is  practically  the  same.  It  is 
the  reproduction  In  the  mind  of  the  pupil  of  something 
that  is  in  the  mind  of  the  teacher.  And  the  value  of 
the  lesson,  whether  it  be  a  lesson  in  the  catechism,  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  or  a  lesson  in  geography  or  swimming, 
depends  upon  the  degree  in  which  it  Is  actually  received 
and  appropriated  by  the  learner. 

The  Importance  of  the  Question 

One  of  the  most  Important  Instruments  of  Instruction 
is  the  question;  and  of  the  two  methods  most  used  in 
teaching,  the  lecture  method  and  the  question  method, 
the  latter,  in  the  Sunday-school  particularly.  Is  most 
effective.  Because  the  time  for  actual  teaching  is  so 
short  ^  in  the  Sunday-school  the  Importance  of  the 
question  is  at  once  evident.  As  was  pointed  out  in 
Chapter  V,  the  wise  planning  of  "pivotal"  questions 
on  every  lesson  is  a  vital  part  of  the  teacher's  prepara- 
tion. Good  questions  reduce  the  difficulty  of  class 
management  and  mean  better  teaching.  Nothing  can 
awaken  and  keep  awake  a  listless  class  so  well  as 
[107] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

definite,  concise,  stimulating  questions.  They  are  one 
of  the  most  powerful  devices  in  the  entire  teaching 
process,  and  proficiency  in  their  use  may  be  obtained 
by  any  patient,  thoughtful  teacher  who  is  willing  to 
work  at  the  art. 

The  Abuse  of  the  Question 

The  use  of  the  question  in  teaching  has  often  been 
misunderstood,  as  may  be  shown  by  a  study  of  the 
question  often  heard  in  both  the  Sunday-school  and 
the  secular  school.  Its  purpose  is  not  always  to  test 
the  pupil's  knowledge;  skilful  teachers  use  it  to 
stir  the  emotions  of  their  pupils  to  stimulate  and  to 
guide  them,  and  to  keep  their  minds  actively  on  the 
lesson  material.  Questions  which  can  be  answered 
by  mere  appeals  to  the  memory  are  valueless,  except 
for  examination  and  review  purposes.  Unless  they 
stimulate  thought  and  mental  exercise, —  unless  they 
provoke  thought,  —  questions  lose  their  intended 
effect.  This  information  or  knowledge-testing  question 
is  a  type  too  often  used  in  the  Sunday-school. 

Yes  and  No  Questions 

Another  type  no  better  than  the  testing  type  is  the 
so-called  direct  question,  one  which  may  usually  be 
answered  by  "yes"  or  "no."  "Was  Jesus  crucified 
between  two  thieves.?"  and  "Did  Peter  deny  his  Lord 
three  times.?"  are  of  this  kind.  For  the  young  and 
inexperienced  teacher,  such  questions  as  these  are 
dangerous  to  experiment  with,  because  they  do  not 
help  carry  on  the  work  of  instruction  in  a  vital  way. 
Such  questions  are  almost  always  a  mark  of  poor 
teaching.  The  inflection  of  the  teacher's  voice  is 
usually  all  that  a  pupil  needs  in  order  to  answer  such 
a  question  with  considerable  credit. 

[108] 


ART  OF   QUESTIONING 

Answer-Suggesting  Questions 

The  question  which  suggests  the  answer  is  also  very 
poor.  This  kind  of  question  is  the  result  of  an  attempt 
to  develop  with  the  pupils  a  principle  for  which  they 
have  no  sufficient  knowledge  or  experience.  The 
teacher  is  merely  trying  to  obtain  the  answer  she  is 
seeking,  without  leading  the  pupil  to  think,  and  her 
ambition  to  get  the  correct  answer  leads  her  to  put 
the  question  in  such  a  form  as  to  suggest  its  answer. 
This,  however,  does  not  stimulate  the  pupil  to  any 
mental  exercise;  and  unless  a  question  does  do  this  it 
is  not  a  good  one.  No  reflection  is  necessary  to 
answer  the  following  questions:  "What  should  we  do 
if  an  enemy  hunger.^"  or  "What  did  Jesus  cast  out.?" 
or  "What  did  Joshua  command  to  stand  still.?"  Such 
questions  as  these  not  only  suggest  their  own  answers, 
but  the  answers  come  as  a  result  of  little  but  mere 
mechanical  laws  of  association.  They  do  not  demand 
a  reorganization  of  the  experience  or  of  the  information 
or  knowledge  of  the  pupils  in  order  properly  to  be 
answered.  Fewer  of  this  kind,  and  more  questions 
which  will  stimulate  the  pupils  to  thought,  are  a  great 
need  of  SuAday-school  instruction. 

The  Value  of  Good  Questions 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  asking  of  "good 
questions  requires  careful  thought,  and  that  a  few 
should  be  previously  planned  for  every  lesson.  A  few 
well-planned  questions  will  often  enliven  and  make 
more  vivid  and  interesting  an  otherwise  uninteresting 
lesson  and  lesson  period.  The  awakening  power  of  a 
really  live  question  is  found  largely  in  the  principle 
of  shock;  a  live  question  will  startle  the  intelligence  of 
the  class  and  challenge  attention  to  the  topic  the 
teacher  wishes  to  consider.     Unless  we  have  at  least 

[109] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

a  few  such  questions  in  the  Sunday-school,  lessons 
there  will  continue  to  be  *' heard"  by  the  teacher,  and 
there  will  be  too  much  reciting  what  the  book  says 
and  too  little  genuine  teaching.  The  element  of  the 
unexpected  and  of  the  unfamiliar  produces  valuable 
effects  in  teaching.  The  right  kind  of  questions  will 
"surprise  the  mind  with  some  fresh  and  novel  view" 
of  the  topic  and  will  demand  new  thought. 


May  Be  Used  to  Test  the  :^|^  Knowledge 

These  thought-stimulating^PRtions  may  also  be 
used  as  questions  to  test  the  pupil's  knowledge  or 
information.  If  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  is 
trying  to  discover  whether  or  not  her  pupils  have 
prepared  their  lessons,  she  may  have  a  tendency  to 
use  the  examination  question  almost  entirely.  In  this 
practice  is  found  another  common  error  in  teaching. 
Questions  which  are  really  stimulating  to  thought  not 
only  demand  the  information  called  for  by  the  purely 
test  question,  but  they  demand  the  ability  to  use  that 
information.  If  the  lesson  has  been  properly  assigned, 
the  children  will  have  had  specific  problems  to  solve 
from  information  iiT  that  lesson.  And^Mthe  recita- 
tion, the  skilful  teacher  calls  for  the  s(^^on  of  those 
same  problems  or  asks  those  same  questions  she  asked 
when  she  assigned  the  lesson  a  week  before. 

The  Preparation  Question 

There  are  usually  three  kinds  of  questions  used  in 
the  ordinary  recitation,  —  the  preparation  or  prelimi- 
nary question,  the  instructive  question,  and  the 
examination  or  testing  question.  Preparation  ques- 
tions are  those  which  put  the  teacher  in  touch  with  her 
pupils'  ideas  concerning  the  topic  under  consideration 
and  which  are  largely  intended  to  get  the  class  curious 

[110] 


ART  OF  QUESTIONING 

and  anxious  to  see  the  teacher's  method  of  handling 
the  topic.  By  such  questions  the  teacher  undertakes 
to  prepare  the  class  for  a  proper  understanding  of  the 
new  material. 

The  Instructive  Question 

This  kind  of  question  is  employed  in  actual  teaching, 
in  instructing  the  pupils,  in  stimulating  them  to 
thought,  and  in  compelling  them,  by  the  very  nature 
of  the  case,  to  reflect  on  the  lesson  material.  The  good 
teacher  employs  this  question  more  than  any  other 
kind,  and  if  properly  used  it  reveals  the  art  of  the  real 
teacher. 

The  Examination  or  Testing  Question 

As  its  name  implies,  the  proper  place  for  this  question 
is  in  the  review  or  in  testing  to  discover  whether  or  not 
the  work  has  been  thoroughly  done.  The  value  of 
such  questions  is  in  the  necessity  for  a  general  view  of 
the  entire  subject,  or  the  work  of  a  certain  period, 
which  has  been  studied.  Such  questions  as  these  are 
used  in  the  public  schools  as  the  basis  of  promotion 
from  one  grade  to  another,  and  some  such  basis  for 
promotion  is  needed  in  the  Sunday-school.  Sunday- 
school  work  and  Sunday-school  teaching  would  then 
be  dignified  as  never  before. 

Concerning  Questioning 

Not  only  does  the  good  teacher  consider  the  form 
of  her  questions,  but  she  also  gives  thought  to  the 
manner  of  asking  questions.  Although  smaller  classes 
are  found  in  the  Sunday-school  than  In  the  public 
school,  a  mistake  of  questioning  so  prevalent  In  the 
latter    institution    has    also   found    its    way    into    the 

[111] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

Sunday-school.  This  Is  the  practice  of  questioning  the 
brightest  pupils  to  the  neglect  and  exclusion  of  the 
less  alert  and  capable  ones.  Such  an  unequal  dis- 
tribution of  questions  often  explains  an  apparent  lack 
of  interest  on  the  part  of  some  pupils,  and  may  result 
in  a  certain  unwholesome  sensitiveness  which  some- 
times appears  in  students  of  all  kinds,  young  and  old. 

Repeated  Questions 

Teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  need  to  know  that 
the  children  they  teach  are,  even  during  the  too  brief 
period  of  thirty  or  forty  minutes'  instruction  every 
Sunday,  forming  mental  habits.  If  these  habits  are 
not  habits  of  attention,  they  are  habits  of  inattention. 
To  one  who  has  observed  Sunday-school  teaching,  an 
evident  lack  of  Interest  is  traceable  to  the  habit  teachers 
have  of  repeating  their  questions  to  the  class.  A  boy 
Is  asked  a  question,  and  appears  not  to  have  heard  it, 
and  the  teacher  unhesitatingly  repeats  the  question. 
In  a  class  where  this  custom  prevails  the  children 
inevitably  form  the  worst  kind  of  mental  habit:  they 
soon  become  accustomed  to  waiting  until  the  question 
Is  repeated  before  they  give  attention. 

Repeated  Answers 

Repeating  the  answers  for  the  class  is  equally  as  bad 
as  repeating  the  questions.  Not  a  few  teachers  are 
weak  at  this  point.  It  is  the  worst  sort  of  pedagogical 
habit,  and  shows  how  prevalent  among  teachers  is  the 
belief  that  the  chief  business  of  the  question  Is  to  test 
the  pupil's  knowledge  of  facts.  Talk  and  conversation 
concerning  the  lesson  material  and  the  lesson  thought 
in  the  Sunday-school  should  take  place  under  as  natural 
and  normal  conditions  as  serious  conversation  else- 
where.    Sunday-school   pupils  should   be  taught  and 

[112] 


ART  OF  QUESTIONING 

encouraged  to  talk  among  themselves  about  the  lesson 
and  other  questions  which  may  arise  in  Sunday-school 
instruction,  rather  than  to  talk  to  the  teacher.  ^  Only 
then  will  actual  life  conditions  be  duplicated  in  the 
work  of  the  Sunday-school.  When  a  child  addresses 
his  answer  to  the  teacher,  who  gives  it  in  turn  back  to 
the  class,  the  social  value  of  the  recitation  is  lost. 
Repetition  by  the  teacher  of  answers  given  by  the 
pupils  is  an  unwise  and  harmful  practice. 

Questioning  the  Pupils  in  Order 

In  small  classes  such  as  are  found  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  the  danger  of  a  methodical  and  mechanical 
order  of  questioning  is  not  so  great  as  in  the  public 
school.  But  to  question  the  pupils  from  one  end  of 
the  row  to  the  other  in  a  systematic  and  regular  order 
is  not  a  good  practice  for  Sunday-school  teachers  to 
form.  It  is  better  to  ask  the  questions  in  such  an 
order  as  to  prevent  the  pupils  from  knowing  who  will 
be  called  next.  This  method  will  insure  activity  and 
alertness,  which  are  ideal  conditions  in  the  recitation. 
If  the  question  is  given  in  regular  order  the  teniptation 
for  the  boy  or  the  girl  who  has  just  answered  is  to  let 
the  mind  relax  and  wander  perhaps  until  his  or  her 
time  again  arrives. 

The  Pupil's  Questions 

Thoughtful,  well-prepared,  and  properly  asked  ques- 
tions almost  always  provoke  pertinent  and  significant 
questions  from  the  pupils  themselves.  The  questions 
which  a  class  asks  are  usually  an  index  of  their  interest. 
Children  who  think  in  the  recitation  and  who  have 
problems  of  their  own,  which  the  lesson  material 
should  suggest,  will  ask  intelligent  questions.  Good 
teaching  will  provoke  such  questions.     Here  is  another 

[113] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

point  at  which  good  habits  or  bad  ones, —  depending 
on  the  ability  of  the  teacher —  may  be  seen.  Children 
should  be  taught  to  address  their  questions  to  the  class 
and  not  to  the  teacher.  The  teacher  should  act,  a  part 
of  the  time  at  least,  as  "chairman  of  discussion."  The 
questions  which  a  class  has  to  ask  are  a  good  test  of  the 
teacher's  ability  to  do  genuine  teaching.  It  has  been 
found  advantageous  to  have  the  children  bring  in  and 
to  propose  to  each  other  questions  on  the  subject 
matter  of  the  lesson.  This  is  a  very  helpful  form  of 
mental  exercise  and  can  be  used  to  good  effect  with 
older  children. 

Wrong  Answers 

A  fundamental  law  in  psychology  is  here  evident. 
Foolish  answers  to  serious  questions  in  the  Sunday- 
school  class  indicate  bad  discipline;  and  such  conduct 
should  be  treated  as  an  offense  of  disrespect,  careless- 
ness, and  irreverence.  But  mistakes  from  children  who 
are  earnest  and  respectful  should  be  treated  with 
extreme  tact.  If  the  teacher  does  not  show  tact  in 
dealing  with  a  child  whose  answer  to  a  question  is 
wrong,  the  pupil  making  the  mistake  may  grow  dis- 
couraged and  await  with  little  spirit  the  teacher's 
next  question.  His  feeling  of  incompleteness  and 
uncertainty  baffles  and  subdues  him.  Tact  in  handling 
an  answer  wide  of  the  mark,  on  the  other  hand,  may 
impel  the  child  to  additional  effort  in  the  preparation 
and  study  of  the  lesson  next  time.  The  love  of  approval 
and  the  fear  of  disapproval  are  deep  in  all  of  us. 

Characteristics  of  Good  Questions 

We  have  seen  that  a  good  question  kindles  curiosity, 
sets  and  keeps  the  mind  in  action,  and  keeps  it  in 
action    towards    the    central    thought    of   the    lesson. 

[114] 


ART  OF  QUESTIONING 

Good  questions,  therefore,  are  always  planned  with 
reference  to  the  logical  steps  of  the  lesson  plan.  They 
reveal  a  problem  which  the  pupils  will  desire  to  solve; 
they  enable  the  pupils  to  contribute  all  their  Informa- 
tion to  the  solution  of  this  problem,  and  they  lead  the 
pupils  finally  to  discover  for  themselves  how  the  central 
thought  of  the  lesson  bears  on  their  everyday  living. 

The  Language  of  a  Good  Question 

The  good  question  Is  always  clear  and  definite  and 
always  set  in  the  simplest  language.  It  contains  but 
a  few  words,  and  Is  adapted  to  the  age  and  experience 
of  the  class  to  which  it  is  directed.  "It  Is  a  great  point 
In  questioning  to  say  as  little  as  possible."  The  best 
questions  are  those  which  attract  the  least  attention 
to  the  teacher;  plainness  of  language,  therefore,  is  a 
good  rule  for  teachers  to  use  in  making  questions  for 
their  classes. 

Announcing  the  Question  First 

The  good  questioner  will  always  announce  the 
question  and  then  after  a  short  pause  will  designate 
the  pupil  to  answer.  The  wait  between  the  announce- 
ment of  the  question  and  the  naming  of  the  pupil  to 
answer,  allows  the  class  to  become  active  and  to  reflect 
and  to  adjust  their  Information  to  the  point  made  by 
the  question.  If  the  child  Is  designated  by  the  teacher 
and  the  question  then  asked,  practically  every  member 
of  the  group,  except  the  one  answering,  may  become 
temporarily  inattentive.  And  no  thought  is  In  this 
way  stimulated. 

The  Need  in  This  Part  of  Teaching 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  function  of  the 
question    Is    to    set    the    pupils    to    thinking.     Good 

[115] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

questions  promote  mental  activity,  arouse  a  vital 
interest  in  the  lesson  material,  suggest  vital  problems 
for  the  pupils  to  solve,  and  tend  to  develop  their  highest 
intellectual  powers.  It  is  possible  for  every  teacher 
in  the  Sunday-school  to  improve  at  this  point.  There 
is  no  aspect  of  the  teacher's  entire  preparation  of  any 
lesson  which  promises  greater  reward  than  systematic 
preparation  for  asking  intelligent  and  thought-provok- 
ing questions.  Conscientious  and  thoughtful  prepara- 
tion here  means  superior  teaching  ability,  and  good 
teachers  always  go  to  their  classes  with  such  preparation. 
To  depend  on  the  inspiration  of  the  moment  in  this 
important  part  of  teaching  is  wasteful  and  dangerous. 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

DeGarmo,  Interest  and  Education,  The  Macmillan  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Fitch,  The  Art  of  Questioning,  A.  Flanagan  Company, 
Chicago. 

Home,  The  Art  of  Questioning,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Strayer,  A  Brief  Course  in  the  Teaching  Process,  The 
Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

Exercises 

1.  What  is  the  chief  business  of  the  question  in  the  Sunday- 
school.'' 

2.  What  objection  is  there  to  the  so-called  leading  or 
suggesting  questions.'' 

3.  How  many  questions  did  you  ask  your  class  last 
Sunday.'' 

4.  Mention  one  or  more  questions  which  you  used  last 
Sunday  which  worked  well.     Why  did  they  work  well.'' 

5.  How  can  you  attract  the  attention  of  every  member  of 
your  class  to  the  central  thought  of  the  lesson  by  the  ques- 
tions which  you  ask.'' 

[1161 


ART  OF  QUESTIONING 

6.  What  part  does  the  question  occupy  in  your  usual 
lesson  plan? 

7.  What  is  the  objection  to  repeating  the  answer  which 
one  of  your  pupils  gives  ? 

8.  Do  your  pupils  ask  questions  in  the  class?     To  whom? 

9.  Criticize  the  following  questions  and  tell  their  weak- 
nesses: 

"  John,  don't  you  think  it  was  magnanimous  in  Abram  to 
concede  the  best  of  the  territory  to  his  relative?  "  (John  is 
twelve  years  of  age.)     Revise  the  question. 

"  Henry,  will  you  sum  up  the  points  in  to-day's  lesson?  " 

"  Of  whom  was  Saul  jealous  and  why?  " 

"  Who  killed  a  thousand  men  with  what  strange  weapon?  " 

"  What  did  Samuel  offer  when  he  went  up  to  Jesse's  home?" 

10.  What  is  the  advantage  of  having  the  class  ask 
questions? 

11.  How  can  you  use  the  question  to  good  advantage  in 
the  assignment  of  the  lesson?  Illustrate  with  the  lesson  of  the 
Good  Samaritan. 

12.  Write  out  two  or  three  good  questions  you  would  ask 
a  group  of  boys  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age  on  the 
lesson  of  the  merchant  seeking  goodly  pearls  (Matthew 
13:45,46). 

13.  Study  the  questions  which  Jesus  asked  and  note  their 
characteristics. 


[117] 


CHAPTER  IX 

Using  the  Pupil's  Memory 

The  Place  of  Memory  in  Sunday-School  Work 

Of  the  first  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  the  child's 
life,  which  are  the  years  for  training  the  memory,  the 
years  from  six  to  fifteen  seem  to  be  the  best  for  this 
training.  Memory  work,  then,  should  become  a  very 
vital  part  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school,  and  should 
not  be  regarded  as  something  apart  from  the  regular 
study  and  life  of  the  school.  And  the  teacher  there 
should  see  to  It  that  a  vital  and  not  a  mechanical  use 
be  made  of  the  memory,  so  that  Ideas  may  be  made 
more  usable  when  they  are  needed.  If  the  statement 
of  William  James  Is  true,  that  "No  truth,  however 
abstract,  Is  ever  perceived  that  will  not  probably  at 
some  time  Influence  our  earthly  action,"  the  Importance 
of  this  part  of  Instruction  Is  evident  at  once.  Careful 
studies  of  the  memory  have  led  to  certain  conclusions 
which  the  Sunday-school  teacher  should  bear  In  mind 
In  her  work:^ 

1.  Memory  does  not  Increase  In  power  very  much 
after  the  fourteenth  or  fifteenth  year;  childhood,  then, 
is  the  time  for  memorizing  those  things  which  are  worth 
while. 

2.  Children  should  be  taught  to  study  so  that 
things  may  be  learned  In  the  most  economical  fashion. 
Sunday-school  teachers  should  study  with  their  classes 
a  few  times  In  order  to  show  them  how  to  use  their 
Bible  and  any  helps  which  they  may  have  for  Bible 

^  See  Sandiford,  Mental  and  Physical  Life  of  School  Children, 
Chapter  XI.     Longmans,  Green  and  Company,  New  York. 

[118] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S  MEMORY 

study,    such    as    concordances,    encyclopedias,    maps 
and  outlines. 

3.  Memories  of  children  are  much  more  efficient 
than  teachers  usually  believe  and  most  children  from 
nine  to  fifteen  years  of  age  are  probably  capable  of 
committing  to  memory,  without  unnecessary  strain, 
between  two  thousand  and  three  thousand  one-line 
passages  and  verses  every  year,  a  large  part  of  which 
will  remain  as  "permanent  possessions  for  life." 

Uses  of  the  PupiPs  Memory 

What  should  the  teacher  In  the  Sunday-school  expect 
of  the  memory  of  her  pupils,  —  what  should  she  expect 
them  to  do  besides  answering  the  questions  she  asks.? 
There  are  several  things  she  has  a  right  to  expect  of 
them: 

1.  First  of  all,  she  expects  the  memory  of  the  pupils 
to  be  of  service  to  them  when  reciting  the  lesson.  She 
relies  on  their  memory  to  help  her  develop  the  lesson 
story  and  the  thought  of  the  lesson  in  their  own  minds. 
By  memory  we  mean  the  associative  processes  by  which 
a  pupil  goes  from  one  idea  to  another. 

2.  In  the  second  place,  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  can  use  the  memory  of  her  pupils  In  reviewing, 
organizing  and  putting  together  the  important  parts 
of  a  given  lesson,  or  of  a  series  of  two  or  more  lessons. 
This  is  an  important  use  of  the  memory  In  all  forms 
of  teaching. 

3.  The  practice  of  having  children  memorize  certain 
passages  and  verses  from  the  scriptures  leads  the  teacher 
in  the  Sunday-school  to  expect  her  pupils  to  say  things 
"by  heart."  A  great  deal  of  that  which  Is  learned  by 
heart  by  children  may  not,  while  it  is  being  learned,  be 
thoroughly  understood  by  them.  But  the  value  of  this 
practice  will  be  pointed  out  later. 

[119] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

4.  Many  things  which  the  children  may  not  learn 
to  quote  verbatim  may  remain  as  ideals  for  them. 
They  may  not  remember  how  or  exactly  when  they 
learned  them,  but  the  teacher  may  expect  them  to  stay 
with  the  children  as  ideals  for  their  conduct. 

5.  The  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  has  no  right 
to  expect  her  pupils  to  remember  everything  she 
teaches  them.  But  there  is  a  distinct  value  in  knowing 
hymns,  passages  and  verses  of  scripture,  references  to 
Biblical  history  and  geography.  They  will  become 
''permanent  possessions,"  and,  if  properly  learned  will 
come  to  the  aid  of  the  children  when  needed  in  later 
years. 

These  uses  in  the  Sunday-school  of  the  memory  of 
the  pupils  will  be  taken  up  in  the  following  consideration 
of  the  general  subject  of  memory  and  memorizing. 

Some  Aspects  of  Memory 

Two  things  are  involved  in  the  ideal  mentioned  at 
the  outset  of  this  chapter,  that  memory  should  be  used 
to  make  ideas  of  more  practical  use.  These  things  are 
retentiveness  and  recall,  the  ability  to  keep  in  mind 
a  thing,  a  fact,  or  a  passage  of  scripture;  and  the 
ability  to  call  it  up  when  needed.  In  other  words, 
the  idea  must  not  fade  away,  and  it  must  come  when 
it  is  needed.  A  good  memory  is  one  which  serves  its 
owner  well,  and  its  goodness  depends  on  the  persistence 
of  the  impressions  made  when  the  thing  to  be  learned 
is  presented  to  the  mind,  and  on  the  number  of 
associations  formed  with  it. 

The  Basal  Elements 

The  two  principal  and  important  elements  in  memory, 
then,  are  impression  and  association.  A  very  large  part 
of  effective  memory  depends  on  association,  the  manner 

[120] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S   MEMORY 

in  which  the  thing  to  be  remembered  is  linked  up  with 
other  things.  The  task  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher, 
therefore,  is  to  see  in  all  her  teaching  first,  that  the 
impressions  are  properly  made,  —  that  when  a  thing 
is  presented  to  the  child  it  must  be  made  clear  and 
must  be  understood;  and  second,  that  as  many  helpful 
associations  as  possible  must  be  formed  with  the  thing 
which  has  been  presented.  Unless  the  fact,  event, 
verse  of  scripture,  or  whatever  is  to  be  learned,  makes 
an  impression  when  it  is  presented,  and  unless,  further, 
it  is  linked  up  with  as  many  associations  as  possible, 
recall  of  that  fact,  thing,  event,  verse  of  scripture,  or 
whatever  is  to  be  learned,  is  not  assured.  The  principle 
of  multiplying  these  varying  associations  and  appeals 
is  an  important  one,  not  only  for  teaching  pupils  in  the 
Sunday-school  how  to  remember,  but  for  teaching 
them  to  understand  that  which  they  remember.  The 
Sunday-school  teacher  should  also  keep  in  mind  that 
in  actual  life  "our  memory  is  always  used  in  the  service 
of  some  interest:  we  remember  things  which  we  care 
for  or  which  are  associated  with  things  we  care  for.  .  .  ." 

The  Law  Illustrated 

Try  to  call  to  mind  something  taught  you  as  a 
child  that  has  faded  away  from  memory  now,  and 
something  taught  you  at  that  time  which  remains  with 
you  and  which  is  vivid.  What  is  the  difference.? 
The  difference  is  probably  found  in  the  difference 
between  something  experienced  faintly  and  something 
experienced  vividly;  something  associated  with  only  a 
few  things  and  something  associated  with  many  things; 
and  something  that  you  have  not  used  and  something 
that  you  have  made  active  use  of  since  your  childhood. 
A  simple  law  of  memory,  then,  the  teacher  in  the 
Sunday-school  should  remember:  we  retain  best  that 

[121] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

which  Impresses  us  most  deeply,  —  that  which  we 
experience  most  vividly;  that  which  is  linked  up  with 
many  other  things,  ideas,  and  objects,  —  that  which  is 
associated  in  a  great  number  of  ways;  and  that  which 
we  have  had  a  chance  to  use.  The  teacher's  task  at 
this  point  is  to  see  that  the  lessons  which  she  teaches 
are  "retained,"  and  are  easily  called  up  when  needed. 
And  this  is  really  the  problem  of  seeing  that  the  lesson 
is  well  learned. 

Making  Use  of  Ideas 

When  is  a  lesson  well  learned.?  What  is  the  object 
of  all  Sunday-school  teaching.''  Discussion  of  these 
two  questions  will  reveal  these  answers:  a  child  has 
learned  a  lesson  when  he  is  able  to  use  the  thought  that 
the  lesson  teaches,  or  to  profit  by  it;  and  the  proper 
use  of  the  moral  and  religious  knowledge  is  the  object 
of  all  correct  Sunday-school  teaching.  Knowledge 
without  the  ability  to  use  it,  to  apply  it  to  his  own 
problems,  leaves  the  pupil  theoretical  only;  and  a 
study  of  any  subject  which  does  not,  in  the  end,  affect 
conduct  and  behavior,  is  unsuccessful.  We  should  be 
careful  here,  however,  not  to  give  false  meanings  to 
the  word  "use."  One  uses  knowledge  and  information 
of  any  kind  which  he  has  learned  when  he  is  inspired 
or  made  hopeful  by  it,  or  by  an  ideal  which  he  has 
gathered  in  the  past;  he  uses  it  when  he  helps  others  by 
it;  he  uses  it  when  it  helps  him  perform  his  duty  to  his 
family,  to  his  neighbor,  or  to  God;  he  uses  it  whenever 
he  turns  it  to  accomplish  any  specific  purpose  in  his 
daily  life. 

The  Tendency  of  Children  to  Use  Ideas 

Living  is  about  the  same  with  young  children  as  it 
is  with  older  people.     They  live  under  similar  condi- 

[122] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S  MEMORY 

tions,  are  Introduced  to  the  same  subjects  of  study, 
and  the  object  of  study  Is  finally  the  same  with  one  as 
it  is  with  the  other.  Children  should,  therefore,  be 
taught  that  to  use  the  lessons  and  Ideals  learned  Is  the 
object  and  aim  of  their  study;  and  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  the  hope  of  applying  these  lessons  and  these 
ideals  to  their  everyday  needs  can  easily  be  made  a 
motive.  Children  have  a  natural  tendency  to  do 
something,  and  it  is  because  they  are  frequently  not 
allowed  the  opportunity  to  do  this  "something"  that 
they  become  discouraged  and  grow  discontented  and 
restless.  An  explanation  is  probably  found  here  of  the 
fact  that  so  many  young  people  leave  the  Sunday- 
school  before  they  are  eighteen  years  of  age.  "They 
don't  show  us  anything  to  do"  is  not  a  rare  criticism 
made  by  boys  and  girls  of  their  Sunday-school  teachers. 
The  youth  is  intensely  practical;  he  demands  reality. 
The  Sunday-school  teacher  who  connects  the  lessons 
that  she  teaches  with  the  actual  living  of  her  pupils 
and  with  their  dreams  of  usefulness,  is  making  pro- 
vision for  a  very  prominent  and  natural  tendency  of 
the  child  to  express  and  satisfy  Itself.  She  will  thus 
be  helping  to  meet  the  natural  demand  for  reality  on 
the  part  of  her  pupils.  She  needs  first  to  get  her 
pupils  to  see  and  feel  the  problems  which  are  to  be 
solved  and  then  she  should  study  to  give  her  pupils 
definite  use  of  the  lessons  they  have  learned. 

The  Importance  of  Drill 

Although  waste  may  result  from  too  much  drill  In 
the  Sunday-school,  certain  parts  of  the  work  there  call 
for  drill.  Those  portions  of  the  lesson  which  are  likely 
to  be  of  daily  use  to  the  pupils  should  become  second 
nature  to  them.  The  influence  of  maxims,  proverbs, 
verses  of  scripture,  comes  from  the  readiness  with  which 

[123] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

they  may  be  recalled,  and  the  power  of  recalling  this 
kind  of  material  comes  only  through  intelligent  repeti- 
tion. Good  memorizing  is  a  form  of  good  thinking; 
by  it  children  in  the  Sunday-school,  as  well  as  in  the 
public  school,  may  acquire  valuable  habits  of  study. 
Not  only  should  the  words  themselves  be  memorized, 
but  the  meaning  of  the  passages  to  be  memorized 
should  be  within  the  range  of  the  experience  and 
ability  of  the  children.  This,  however,  does  not  mean 
that  children  should  memorize  only  those  things  which 
they  understand;  much  material  which  children  may 
memorize  is  especially  suitable  for  inspiration  and  for 
the  awakening  of  the  feelings.  If  children  in  the 
Sunday-school  are  taught  to  memorize  intelligently, 
and  to  drill  the  memorized  portions  intelligently,  they 
will  acquire  valuable  mental  habits  which  will  continue 
with  them,  and  truths  and  feelings  will  be  gradually 
brought  into  consciousness  in  a  powerful  and  helpful 
manner.  With  children  from  nine  to  twelve  years  of 
age,  the  so-called  Junior  Department  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  drill  work  is  most  important. 

What  Should  be  Memorized 

By  "memorizing"  we  do  not  here  mean  an  artificial, 
parrot-like  use  of  the  memory;  the  principles  which 
underlie  memory,  discussed  above,  are  rarely  ever  seen 
to  apply  in  artificial  memorizing.  But  they  do  apply 
when  intelligent  memorizing  is  carried  on,  and  when 
the  materials  to  be  memorized  are  carefully  selected. 
Certain  principles,  therefore,  should  be  observed  in 
the  selection  of  passages,  verses,  or  materials  of  any 
kind  to  be  memorized  in  the  Sunday-school. 

1.  Passages  should  be  chosen  which  express  that 
which  is  already  more  or  less  real  to  the  children. 
Passages  with  reality  should  come  first  and  those  which 

[124] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S   MEMORY 

are  more  or  less  symbolic  follow.  Those  which  have 
real  meaning  are  more  desirable,  especially  for  children 
from  nine  to  twelve  years  of  age. 

2.  Passages  which  have  reference  or  connection 
with  the  situation  or  condition  to  which  attention  is 
being  drawn  should  be  memorized.  For  example, 
there  are  certain  Psalms  of  thanksgiving  which  could  be 
emphasized,  which  the  children  could  memorize  during 
the  thanksgiving  season.  And  similar  passages  which 
have  a  great  deal  of  value  could  be  selected  with 
reference  to  the  Christmas  and  Easter  seasons.  The 
kind  of  lesson,  the  season  of  the  year,  the  presence  of 
certain  church  festivals,  etc.,  should  govern  the  selec- 
tion of  this  kind  of  memory  material.^ 

3.  Those  passages  which  the  teacher  selects  for  her 
pupils  to  memorize  should  be  used.  Unless  they  are 
used  they  lose  much  of  their  meaning;  if  they  are  used, 
they  become  more  real  and  the  pupils  can  see  some 
purpose  in  the  work  of  memorizing.  They  may  be 
used  in  recitation  or  declamation  work,  Bible  drill, 
dramatization,  or  in  some  form  of  the  church  worship. 
By  this  means  the  pupils  will  see  that  memorized  verses 
and  passages  serve  a  present  purpose,  and  fill  a  real 
need. 

4.  Those  materials  which  have  a  permanent  literary, 
religious  or  spiritual  value  should  be  selected  to  be 
memorized.  The  experience  of  those  who  have  memo- 
rized considerably  is  sufficient  testimony  that  this  is  a 
vital  part  of  good  teaching. 

5.  Meaningless  materials  should  not  be  selected  for 
memorizing:  the  spelling  of  long  lists  of  unrelated 
words    in    biblical    history    and    geography,    doctrinal 

^  Song  of  Solomon  2  :  11-12;  7  :  13;  2  Samuel  23  : 4;  Leviticus 
26  :  4  represent  what  is  meant  by  material  selected  with  reference  to 
some  season,  or  some  particular  kind  of  lesson. 

[125] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

catechisms,  and  unrelated  facts  of  all  kinds.  And 
children  should  not  be  allowed  to  learn  cheap  poetry 
or  silly,  trashy  music  in  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school. 
6.  There  is  certain  technical  material  which  the 
child  should  know,  and  most  of  it  will  probably  come 
only  through  memorizing.  For  instance,  he  should 
know  the  books  of  the  Bible,  the  number  of  books  in 
the  Old  Testament,  certain  facts  about  biblical  geog- 
raphy, the  names  and  number  of  the  apostles,  certain 
facts  in  the  life  of  Christ,  certain  facts  about  Old  Testa- 
ment history,  and  such  other  technical  material  which 
seems  more  or  less  unrelated,  but  which  is,  after  all, 
valuable  for  the  child  to  know.  Unless  he  learn  this 
during  the  age  for  verbal  memory,  he  will  probably  go 
through  life  without  it.  It  is  perfectly  easy  to  teach 
such  material  to  children  without  deadening  their 
interest  or  distorting  their  conceptions  of  religion. 

Some  Suggestions  for  Memory  Work. 

The  active  and  alert  teacher  will  not  depend  on  a 
few  isolated  "golden  texts"  given  in  the  uniform 
lessons  for  the  passages  for  her  pupils  to  memorize. 
She  will  select  those  passages  which  will  serve  her 
particular  pupils  best,  adapting  the  passage  to  the 
child,  the  seasons,  the  purposes  of  the  worship,  etc. 
The  principles  suggested  above  will  help  her  in  making 
this  selection. 

There  are  some  materials  which  are  not  altogether 
full  of  meaning  for  children  from  eight  to  fourteen 
years  of  age,  but  which  they  will  understand  sufficiently 
to  receive  considerable  help  from: 

Bible   Passages 
The  Ten  Commandments  (Exodus  20  :  1-17); 
The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matthew  6  :  9-13); 
The  Beatitudes  (Matthew  5  :  3-12); 
[126] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S   MEMORY 

The  Parable  of  the  Good  Shepherd  (John  10  :  1-11); 
The  Parable  of  the  Wise  and  Foolish  Virgins  (Matthew 
25:1-15); 
The  Thirteenth  Chapter  of  First  Corinthians; 
The  First  Psalm; 
The  Fifteenth  Psalm; 

The  Nineteenth  Psalm;  especially  verses  one  to  eleven; 
The  Twenty-third  Psalm; 
The  One  Hundred-third  Psalm; 
The  One  Hundred-seventeenth  Psalm; 
The  One  Hundred-twenty-first  Psalm. 

The  teacher  could  also  select  from  the  Proverbs, 
Ecclesiastes,  the  Song  of  Solomon,  and  other  portions 
of  the  Bible,  brief  passages  which  her  pupils  could 
memorize  with  profit. 

Hymns 
There  are  certain  songs  and  hymns  which  touch  and 
appeal  especially  to  child  life  and  which  should  be 
taught  in  the  Sunday-school.  The  list  suggested  below 
should  be  memorized  by  children  from  nine  to  fourteen 
years  of  age.  The  teacher  should  select  other  songs 
and  poems  which  the  children  of  this  age  would 
naturally  like.     This  list  is  merely  suggestive. 

My  Faith  Looks  up  to  Thee,  Palmer; 
Savior,  Like  a  Shepherd,  Lead  Us,  Thrupp; 
Jesus  Shall  Reign  Where'er  the  Sun,  Watts; 
Lead,  Kindly  Light,  Newman; 
Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul,  Wesley; 
Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee,  Adams; 
Abide  With  Me,  Lyte; 
Come,  Thou  Almighty  King,  Wesley; 
Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Heber; 
Faith  of  Our  Fathers,  Faber. 

The  Doctrinal  Catechism  in  the  Sunday-School 

Although  the  teaching  of  the  doctrinal  catechism  is 
not  so  prevalent  a  custom  in  the  Sunday-school  as  it 

[127] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

once  was,  no  consideration  of  the  place  and  uses  of  the 
child's  memory  in  Sunday-school  work  would  be 
complete  without  a  word  on  this  subject.  The  chief 
value  that  can  come  to  a  child  from  statements  of 
truths  or  of  doctrines  depends  almost  entirely  on  the 
extent  to  which  he  understands  those  truths  and 
doctrines.  They  must,  like  any  other  material  which 
he  studies,  be  related  in  the  mind  of  the  child  to  other 
facts  and  knowledge  there.  If  this  condition  does  not 
exist,  the  end  which  the  teacher  seeks,  that  of  getting 
the  child  to  accept  a  certain  doctrine,  will  naturally  be 
defeated.  The  plasticity  of  the  mind  of  the  child  is 
the  basis  for  the  argument  sometimes  heard,  that 
whatever  is  introduced  to  it  will  continue  with  him 
until  maturity.  Here  is  found  the  basis  for  the  doc- 
trinal catechetical  work  of  the  Sunday-school,  and  the 
memorization  of  points  of  doctrine  and  catechism. 
The  mind  of  the  child,  however,  is  not  a  reservoir  into 
which  may  be  poured  the  facts  or  information  of 
whatever  kind,  to  be  drawn  on  when  needed.  More- 
over, the  injury  that  may  result  from  too  much  memo- 
rizing of  doctrinal  catechism  is  to  be  considered:  the 
child's  interest  may  be  deadened,  his  development 
may  be  arrested,  he  may  not  get  the  proper  con- 
ceptions of  religion,  and  there  may  be  produced  in 
him  an  aversion  to  religious  life.  Formal  memorization 
of  creeds  and  catechism,  until  he  is  able  to  understand 
them,  cannot  make  of  a  child  an  active  Christian. 
There  must  be  something  more  than  the  formal  memory 
work;  catechetical  and  formal  memory  lessons  cannot 
take  the  place  of  real,  effective  teaching. 

Among  the  arguments  in  favor  of  using  doctrinal 
catechisms  and  purely  memory  lessons  in  the  Sunday- 
school  are  the  following:^ 

^  See  Haslett,  The  Pedagogical  Bible  School,  Chapter  XII. 

[128] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S  MEMORY 

1.  They  furnish  definite  and  concise  statements  of 
Christian  belief. 

2.  A  body  of  formulated  truth,  necessary  to  guide 
the  administration  of  any  church  or  organization  of 
believers,  is  convenient  and  practical. 

3.  The  mind  of  the  child  can  get  these  truths  and 
he  can  call  them  into  service  when  he  needs  them  and 
when  he  has  developed  sufficiently  to  understand  them. 

4.  There  is  a  natural  objection  in  the  church  to 
allowing  its  children  to  grow  up  in  ignorance  of  the 
doctrines  and  belief  of  the  church  and  of  the  Christian 
faith. 

Some  of  the  objections  to  formal  memory  work  in 
doctrinal  catechism  are:^ 

1.  This  method  of  instruction  does  not  aid  the 
individual  towards  Christian  maturity,  and  makes  little 
or  no  provision  for  real  growth  in  religious  character. 

2.  It  tends  to  hinder  later  thoughtful  study  of  the 
Bible  in  its  various  aspects,  a  practice  which  is  growing 
less  and  less  prevalent  among  young  people,  but  which 
is  needed  more  than  ever.  This  suggests  the  need  of 
teaching  the  Bible  rather  than  something  vague  about 
it. 

3.  The  doctrinal  catechetical  method  is  directly 
opposed  to  the  best  educational  theory.  It  is  the 
"cramming"  method  of  teaching  which  is  universally 
recognized  as  disreputable  because  it  is  positively 
harmful  to  the  mind;  it  violates  the  law  of  interest,  the 
law  of  adaptation,  the  law  of  apperception,  the  law  of 
self-activity  and  other  laws  of  mental  development, 
—  fundamental  laws  by  which  mental  progress  of 
children  in  secular  schools  is  secured. 

4.  There  is  not  only  no  biblical  warrant  for  such 
methods  of  teaching,  but  the  methods  used  by  Christ, 

^  See  Haslett,  above,  and  the  Biblical  World  for  September,  1900. 

[129] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

who  is  unquestionably  the  Ideal  Teacher,  were  very 
much  unlike  the  purely  doctrinal  method.  When 
Jesus  taught  adults,  he  illustrated  in  a  concrete  way 
the  principle  he  sought  to  teach;  and  when  he  taught 
little  children,  he  gave  them  no  abstract  doctrine  or 
truth  to  learn.  He  got  "on  a  plane"  with  them, 
blessed  them  and  made  them  feel  his  sympathy  and 
his  love.  Here  is  a  supreme  illustration  of  Jesus's 
knowledge  of  child  life  and  child  needs. 

5.  This  form  of  instruction  is  no  longer  necessary  as 
a  means  to  an  end.  It  grew  out  of  a  mediaeval  method 
of  Bible  and  religious  teaching  which  should  be  regarded 
as  useless  today.  The  lengthy  reign  of  worldly 
Romanism  produced  corruptions  in  doctrines  and 
belief,  and  Protestantism  undertook  to  restate  the 
Christian  doctrine.  Supreme  care  had  to  be  exercised 
in  the  teaching  of  this  restated  doctrine;  and  the  teacher 
had  no  helps  such  as  the  modern  Sunday-school  teacher 
has.  Not  only  has  the  Sunday-school  teacher  abundant 
helps  today,  but  she  has  much  of  her  method  outlined 
and  prepared  for  her.  The  very  formal  method  of 
questions  and  answers  sometimes  found  in  the  Sunday- 
school  is  a  degenerate  survival  of  the  formal  catechism. 
Such  methods  of  teaching  may  produce  the  spirit  of 
denominationalism  and  churchmen,  but  it  will  not 
create  Christians. 

Teaching  the  Pupils  How  to  Study 

Children  in  the  Sunday-school  do  not  know  how  to 
study  because  they  have  not  been  taught  the  art. 
They  have  not  been  taught  because  their  teachers  and 
their  parents  who  supervise  their  studies  have  not 
themselves  learned  the  art,  and  cannot,  therefore, 
teach  others.  But  there  are  several  things  which  the 
teacher  can  do  which  will  be  of  great  help  to  the  pupils 

[130] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S   MEMORY 

in  the  Sunday-school  in  teaching  them  how  to  study 
economically  and  with  effect.  And  this  part  of  the 
teacher's  task  is  as  imperative  in  the  Sunday-school  as 
in  the  public  school,  where  the  need  for  teaching 
children  how  to  study  is  being  so  greatly  felt  and  con- 
cerning which  so  much  is  now  being  said.  The  char- 
acter of  teaching  done  in  the  Sunday-school  or  public 
school  has,  first  of  all,  much  to  do  with  determining  the 
habits  of  study  of  the  pupils  there.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  teacher  may  make  specific  effort  to  develop  helpful 
habits  of  study  in  those  whom  she  teaches. 

1.  Children  should  first  of  all  be  taught  to  set  up 
definite  purposes  for  their  study.  The  example  must, 
however,  always  be  set  by  the  teacher:  the  setting  of 
some  definite  problem  for  them  to  solve  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  their  next  lesson;  suggesting  chances  for  them 
to  use  what  they  may  learn  from  this  or  that  lesson; 
pointing  out  a  story  which  may  be  memorized  for  the 
purpose  of  reciting  it,  or  learned  for  the  purpose  of 
telling  it  to  some  friend;  and  other  means  of  setting  up 
specific  purposes  for  study  will  soon  develop  this 
excellent  habit  in  children.  Showing  a  child  in  a 
Sunday-school  how  he  can  use  a  lesson  which  he  should 
learn,  is  one  of  the  best  ways  to  get  him  to  study  it 
with  a  certain  degree  of  intelligence. 

2.  Children  should  also  be  taught  how  to  make' use 
of  the  Bible,  their  concordance,  map,  and  any  other 
helps  which  they  may  have,  in  preparing  their  lesson. 
The  teacher  can  also  show  them  how  to  "supplement" 
the  lesson  material  in  other  ways.  There  is  no  objec- 
tion to  allowing  the  children  to  use  their  imagination 
in  supplementing  the  material  found  in  the  lesson. 
Suppose  the  class  is  studying  the  story  of  Abraham 
sacrificing  Isaac.  Let  the  class  tell  of  the  probable 
conversation  between  father  and  son  as  they  journeyed 

[131] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

to  the  place  of  sacrifice.  Or,  in  studying  the  story  of 
Joseph  and  the  hatred  of  his  brothers  for  him,  the  class 
could  describe  an  evening  meal  in  Jacob's  house  and 
the  conversation  that  probably  took  place  there. 
Other  lessons  might  offer  such  opportunities  as  these 
for  similar  supplementing.  And  the  children  could 
also  be  taught  to  illustrate  stories  of  this  kind  from 
their  reading  outside  the  Bible. 

3.  The  teacher  can  also  help  her  children  to  develop 
powers  of  independent  judgment.  This  means  direct- 
ing rather  than  controlling  their  mental  efforts.  If 
children  are  taught  the  free  use  of  their  Bibles;  the 
reproduction  of  lesson  stories,  and  allowed  to  tell  the 
stories  in  their  own  way  and  to  comment  naturally  on 
them;  if  they  are  allowed  to  read  freely  in  class;  in 
short,  if  as  much  responsibility  as  possible  is  placed  on 
them,  their  independence  of  judgment  will  soon  begin 
to  develop.  There  is  a  great  need  that  this  kind  of 
mental  habit  be  developed  not  only  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  but  in  the  public  school. 

4.  Memorizing  is  another  factor  in  study  which  is 
recognized  as  valuable.  Children  can  be  taught  how 
to  memorize  if,  as  was  pointed  out  above,  they  are 
given  some  motive  for  memorizing.  The  teacher  can 
also  rely  on  the  judgment  of  the  children  to  select 
passages  which  have  some  value  to  them,  provided 
they  have  been  given  some  training  in  this  part  of 
their  study. 

5.  The  ability  to  use  the  ideas  which  they  have 
learned  is  another  important  factor  in  study.  One 
great  advantage  which  should  come  from  good  teaching 
in  the  Sunday-school  is  the  making  over  into  experience 
and  habit  that  which  is  taught  there.  All  moral  and 
religious  truths  should  be  thus  translated  into  habit 
and   become  usable.       The  pupils  should  be  taught, 

[132] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S   MEMORY 

therefore,  for  their  own  rather  than  for  the  sake  of 
the  teacher  or  to  please  her.  If  the  teacher  can  make 
the  recitation  real  rather  than  artificial,  and  can  make 
It  as  nearly  as  possible  like  real  life,  then  the  recitation 
can  furnish  occasion  for  a  ready  use  of  knowledge. 
Encourage  your  pupils  to  discuss  things  among  them- 
selves and  to  talk,  not  "before  the  teacher"  merely, 
but  with  her,  to  question  and  to  answer  each  other  In 
a  natural  way.  In  this  manner  they  will  not  only 
"learn  polntedness  In  thinking,  but  they  Increase  and 
test  their  knowledge  by  using  It."  The  recitation  in 
the  Sunday-school,  therefore,  should  be  "a  social  meet- 
ing place:  it  Is  to  the  school  what  the  spontaneous 
conversation  Is  at  home,  except  that  It  is  more  or- 
ganized, following  definite  lines.  The  recitation  be- 
comes the  social  clearing  house,  where  experience  and 
ideas  are  exchanged  and  subjected  to  criticism,  where 
misconceptions  are  corrected,  and  new  lines  of  thought 
and  inquiry  are  set  up." 

This  Consideration  of  Memory  Only  Suggestive 

The  suggestions  which  have  been  made  in  this 
chapter  are  by  no  means  exhaustive;  and  the  considera- 
tion here  given  to  memory  and  its  place  In  the  Sunday- 
school  work  is  meant  to  be  very  elementary.  The  use 
of  the  memory  In  the  Sunday-school  work,  however, 
is  entitled  to  more  attention  from  the  teacher,  the 
superintendent,  the  pastor  and  the  parent.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  suggestions  made  here  may  prove  of 
help  to  those  teachers  who  are  trying  to  put  the  memory 
of  their  pupils  to  great  use.  The  active  and  resourceful 
teacher  can  make  It  a  means  of  more  interest  in  her 
teaching.  To  do  this,  however,  requires  some  thought 
of  the  plans   for   memory  work,   for   Bible   drill,   for 

[133] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

dramatization,   and   for   the   worship   in   the   Sunday- 
school  and  church. 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Athearn,  The  Church  School,  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Baldwin,  The  Story  of  the  Mind,  D.  Appleton  and  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Chamberlain,  Introduction  to  the  Bible  for  Teachers  of 
Children,  University  of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago. 

Colvin,  The  Learning  Process,  The  Macmillan  Company, 
New  York. 

Dewey,  The  School  and  Society,  University  of  Chicago 
Press,  Chicago. 

Earhart,  Teaching  Children  to  Study,  Houghton  Mifflin 
Company,  New  York. 

James,  Psychology,  Chapter  on  Memory,  Henry  Holt  and 
Company,  New  York. 

James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  Henry  Holt  and  Company,  New 
York. 

King,  The  Psychology  of  Child  Development,  University 
of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago. 

Kirkpatrick,  The  Fundamentals  of  Child  Study,  The  Mac- 
millan Company,  New  York. 

Koons,  The  Child's  Religious  Life,  Methodist  Book  Con- 
cern, New  York. 

McMurry,  How  to  Study  and  Teaching  How  to  Study, 
Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  New  York 

Rusk,  Introduction  to  Experimental  Education,  Longmans, 
Green  and  Company,  New  York. 

Exercises 

\.  Show  the  distinction  between  impression  and  associa- 
tion. 

2.  Can  you  tell  which  one  of  your  pupils  has  the  best 
memory.^     How? 

3.  What  makes  one  man's  or  one  child's  memory  better 
than  that  of  another.^ 

4.  How  can  one  improve  his  memory.^ 

5.  What  evidence  have  you  that  your  pupils  like  to  put  to 
use  the  ideas  they  get  in  your  class. ^ 

[134] 


USING  THE   PUPIL'S   MEMORY 

6.  How  much  memorizing  have  you  had  your  pupils  do 
this  year? 

7.  What  motive  could  you  give  a  class  of  boys  ten  years 
of  age  for  memorizing  the  Twenty-third  Psalm? 

8.  Which  is  better  for  a  child  nine  or  ten  years  of  age  to 
memorize,  a  portion  of  doctrinal  catechism,  or  the  Ten 
Commandments  ? 

9.  What  do  you  understand  by  "  drill  "?  What  use  do 
you  make  of  it  in  your  class? 

10.  Do  your  pupils  know  how  to  study  their  Sunday-school 
lessons?  What  do  you  do  to  help  them  in  learning  how  to 
study  ? 

11.  How  many  hymns  has  your  class  memorized  this  year? 

12.  Make  up  a  list  of  twenty-five  passages  which  you 
think  children  should  be  able  to  quote,  or  recognize  and  locate. 

13.  What  ideals  have  remained  with  you  as  a  result  of 
memorizing  when  a  child  ? 


[135] 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Teacher's  Personality 

Other  Parts  of  Teaching 

So  far  we  have  been  considering  certain  rules,  laws, 
and  principles  of  teaching,  a  knowledge  of  which  is 
essential  to  success  in  Sunday-school  teaching.  But 
there  are  other  parts  of  teaching  that  cannot  be  reduced 
to  rules  and  principles.  A  teacher  may  know  the 
subject  which  she  is  to  teach;  she  may  be  thoroughly 
familiar  with  her  pupils  and  their  varying  needs;  she 
may  know  how  to  adapt  the  lessons  which  she  teaches 
to  their  needs;  she  may  have  great  sympathy  with  her 
work,  and  be  skilled  in  the  technical  side  of  schoolroom 
practice.  She  may  know  and  be  all  this  and  still  be 
unsuccessful.  In  fact  these  things  alone  will  give  her 
no  guarantee  to  teaching  success.  Her  most  successful 
work  may  be  that  which  does  not  go  by  rule.  It  is 
this  part  of  teaching  that  is  frequently  spoken  of  as 
"personality,"  a  word  used  to  name  a  quality  or 
qualities  which  condition  the  teaching  process  and  its 
results.  A  brief  consideration  of  this  part  of  teaching 
may  now  be  worth  while. 

The  Personality  of  the  Teacher 

Probably  the  greatest  factor  in  all  teaching  success 
is  known  as  the  personality  of  the  teacher,  a  word 
which  is  hard  to  define.  It  is  that  mysterious  "some- 
thing" which  is  powerful  in  its  influence  and  far- 
reaching  in  its  eifects.  Sometimes  it  is  called  "personal 
attraction,"  "personal  magnetism,"  or  other  terms 
which  poorly  describe  it.     It  is  more  than  character: 

[136] 


THE  TEACHER'S  PERSONALITY 

it  is  character  with  power  to  reproduce  itself  in  others; 
that  power  which  some  people  have  which  enables 
them  to  influence  others.  It  includes  all  those  peculiar 
powers,  in  fact,  and  all  those  characteristics,  which 
make  one  person  different  from  another.  It  is  physical, 
spiritual,  moral  and  mental,  and  includes  many- 
qualities. 

1.  Health  is  usually  given  as  a  very  important 
element  in  the  personality  of  the  teacher.  Children 
in  the  Sunday-school,  as  elsewhere,  need  and  respond 
to  the  stimulus  which  naturally  comes  from  contact 
with  teachers  whose  physical  vitality  challenges 
admiration.  This  is  true  of  children  in  every  part  of 
the  Sunday-school,  but  particularly  true  of  boys  and 
girls  from  twelve  to  eighteen  years  of  age.  Physical 
health  and  strength  are  necessary  for  mental  freshness 
and  vigor,  and  for  the  ability  to  stimulate,  direct  and 
control  the  class,  even  though  the  work  of  the  class  may 
not  exceed  thirty  or  forty  minutes.  In  teaching  of 
any  kind,  the  teacher's  health  is  a  great  asset.  It 
is  absolutely  necessary  for  successful  work  and  for 
wholesome  influence  on  the  pupils. 

2.  Of  the  mental  or  spiritual  qualities  which  go  to 
make  up  the  personality  of  the  teacher  none  is  probably 
more  important  than  that  which  is  known  as  sympathy. 
The  Sunday-school  teacher  should  cultivate  a.  liberal 
mental  attitude  towards  her  pupils,  a  vigorous  senti- 
ment which  will  enable  her  to  "feel  with"  rather  than 
to  "feel  for"  her  pupils  in  all  that  they  do,  that  she 
may  understand  their  impulses  and  their  tendencies. 
"The  consciousness  on  the  part  of  the  pupil  that  the 
teacher  possesses  such  sympathy  or  understanding,  is 
itself  a  powerful  influence  to  deter  him  from  wrong- 
doing and  to  enlist  his  active  co-operation  in  profitable 
effort."     This  ability  to  put  yourself  in  another's  place 

[137] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

and  to  appreciate  his  point  of  view,  is  especially  valuable 
for  the  Sunday-school  teacher.  It  is  a  native  endow- 
ment in  many  people,  but  it  is  a  quality  which  can  be 
cultivated  and  developed  by  a  love  for  and  an  interest 
in  children.  "It  is  the  key  that  unlocks  the  door  to 
youthful  confidence,  enthusiasm,  restraint  and  effort." 

3.  Sincerity  or  frankness  in  the  teacher's  conduct 
and  dealings  with  her  pupils  is  another  quality  which 
should  be  found  in  Sunday-school  work.  It  is  a  form 
of  honesty.  There  is  probably  nothing  that  children 
admire  so  much  in  their  elders  and  teachers  as  frank- 
ness. The  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  must  have  it, 
or  her  work  there  will  count  for  nothing. 

4.  Self-control  is  another  quality  which  teachers  in 
the  Sunday-school  should  seek  to  cultivate  and  develop 
in  themselves.  Unless  they  have  this  quality,  they 
need  not  expect  their  pupils  to  acquire  it.  Self- 
control  is  largely  a  matter  of  health,  of  nerves,  and  of 
temperament.  It  goes  by  a  number  of  names  such  as 
steadiness,  stability,  self-possession  and  the  like.  It 
is  that  thing  which  prevents  the  teacher  from  "going 
to  pieces"  or  "losing  her  head"  in  crises  or  emergencies. 

5.  Personal  appearance  is  also  Implied  in  personality. 
One  may  be  otherwise  qualified  to  teach  and  yet  be 
handicapped  and  at  a  serious  disadvantage  because 
of  certain  personal  habits  or  a  lack  of  them.  Good 
taste  and  neatness  in  dress  have  a  remarkably  whole- 
some effect  on  children,  and  good  manners  and  suitable 
dress,  and  correct  personal  habits  are  important  for 
the  Sunday-school  teacher.  There  is  perhaps  less 
ground  for  criticism  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher  at 
this  point,  however,  than  there  is  of  the  public  school 
teacher. 

6.  Personality  also  implies  tact,  the  ability  to  deal 
safely  and  wisely  with  individual  children  or  with  the 

[138] 


THE  TEACHER'S  PERSONALITY 

entire  class;  it  implies  reserve  and  dignity;  enthusiasm; 
a  keen  sense  of  humor;  firmness;  cheerfulness  of  manner; 
reasonableness,  and  other  qualities.  To  be  successful 
the  teacher  must  have  these  and  many  other  qualities, 
and  they  must  be  combined  in  her  makeup  in  a  very 
vital  way. 

7.  For  the  Sunday-school  teacher,  consecration  and 
spirituality  are  of  primary  importance.  She  is  a 
teacher  of  the  most  important  subject  in  the  entire 
curriculum.  Religion  is  a  matter  of  the  heart  and  of 
life;  the  Sunday-school  teacher's  personality  and  her 
success  are  dependent  largely  on  the  depth  of  her 
spirituality  and  the  strength  of  her  conviction.  She 
must  be  abounding  in  the  richness  of  soul.  She  must 
be  exemplary  without  affectation;  she  must  illustrate 
in  her  conduct  and  life  what  she  hopes  to  realize  in 
those  whom  she  teaches.  Then  and  then  only  will  she 
teach  when  she  seems  not  to  be  doing  anything  at  all. 
Without  these  supreme  qualities  and  powers  she  will 
lack  the  ability  to  reach  and  to  stimulate  the  deepest 
impulses  of  the  race.  Without  them  she  cannot  be  an 
ideal  teacher. 

Unconscious  Teaching 

It  is  just  this  thing  of  personality,  or  these  qualities 
which  we  have  been  considering,  which  make  it  possible 
for  one  to  teach  without  realizing  that  he  is  teaching. 
The  ultimate  aim  of  the  teaching  profession  is  more 
than  a  mere  communication  of  knowledge  and  infor- 
mation. Teaching  appeals  to  faith,  to  hopes,  to 
feelings  of  whatever  kind,  to  the  will;  it  deals  with  the 
affections,  with  the  emotions  and  with  the  intellect. 
What  Phillips  Brooks  said  of  preaching  may  also  be 
said  of  teaching.  It  "is  the  communication  of  truth  .  .  . 
it  has  in  it  two  essential  elements,  truth  and  personality. 

[139] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

Neither  of  these  can  it  spare  .  .  .  The  truth  must 
come  through  the  person,  not  merely  over  his  Hps  .  . 
It  must  come  through  his  character,  his  affections,  his 
whole  intellectual  and  moral  being."  It  is,  therefore, 
not  always  the  subject,  nor  the  method  used  in  teaching 
it,  that  is  of  primary  importance;  but  it  is  the  "uplift 
which  comes  from  the  heart  contact  with  a  great  per- 
sonality." The  deepest  and  most  lasting  impressions 
are  often  made  in  our  minds  independently  of  language. 
It  may  be  by  influence,  by  associations,  by  motives 
that  lie  outside  the  realm  of  language.  This  kind  of 
teaching  has  been  called  the  very  highest  kind,  "most 
charged  with  moral  power,  most  apt  to  go  down  among 
the  secret  springs  of  conduct,  most  effectual  for  vital 
issues,  for  the  very  reason  that  it  is  spiritual  in  its 
character,  noiseless  in  its  pretensions,  and  constant  in 
its  operation." 

Some  Practical  Suggestions 

Such  impressions  and  influences  spoken  of  here  come 
in  a  variety  of  manners  and  through  many  channels. 
Certain  practical  suggestions  for  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  appear  at  once. 

1.  Avoid  all  forms  of  nervousness,  restlessness,  and 
anxiety.  Ability  to  control  temper  and  nerves  here 
means  reliability.  Steadiness  is  a  healthy  influence 
wherever  it  appears,  and  is  a  quality  which  excites 
admiration.     The  temper  reveals  the  real  teacher. 

2.  The  face  and  voice  are  also  great  media  for 
expressing  nervousness  and  anxiety,  as  well  as  for 
expressing  calmness  and  peace.  Make  a  special  effort, 
therefore,  to  control  the  pitch  and  inflection  of  the 
voice  and  the  expression  of  the  face.  It  is  worth  the 
time  and  effort  required  to  learn  what  a  great  power 
is  in  the  voice,  and  to  learn  to  use  it  properly  in  teach- 

[140] 


THE  TEACHER'S  PERSONALITY 

ing.  Listen  to  great  story  tellers;  notice  the  effect 
of  a  high-keyed  voice  on  a  group  of  children;  notice 
the  effect  of  a  low  voice  on  yourself  as  well  as  on  others. 
The  poorly  controlled  voice  brings  weariness  and 
fatigue  to  the  teacher  and  a  state  of  irritability  to  the 
pupils.  A  gentle  voice  indicates  self  control  and  is  a 
great  power  in  the  classroom. 

3.  Avoid  spasmodic,  jerky  motions,  which  indicate 
a  lack  of  poise  and  of  self-control,  and  which  have  a 
very  bad  effect  on  the  pupils. 

4.  Commend  virtues  in  your  pupils  rather  than 
condemn  their  faults.  This  is  the  positive  way  of 
teaching.  Emphasize  "do"  rather  than  "don't," 
"Walk  on  the  walk"  signs  rather  than  "Keep  off  the 
grass"  signs. 

5.  Show  faith  in  your  pupils,  respect  for  their 
opinions,  be  frank,  make  it  easy  for  them  to  talk  to  you 
and  to  ask  you  questions  and  to  consult  you;  cultivate 
the  sense  of  humor.  This  is  a  great  bond  of  union 
between  the  teacher  and  the  pupil. 

Unconscious  Learning 

Just  as  a  teacher  may  teach  without  realizing  that 
she  is  teaching,  so  also  may  a  pupil  learn  without 
realizing  that  he  is  learning.  The  primal  instinct  of 
imitation  is  ever  at  work  and  lays  hold  on  specific  acts 
in  the  Sunday-school  room  as  elsewhere.  It  catches 
hold  of  acts  of  expressions  of  feeling.  A  cheerful 
teacher  is  likely  to  have  a  cheerful  class;  pupils  imitate 
their  teacher  as  well  as  their  fellow  pupils.  Moreover, 
lessons  of  reverence,  of  loyalty,  of  gracious  manners, 
of  promptness,  of  courtesy,  and  many  of  the  lessons 
which  are  worth  while  to  teach  and  to  learn,  are 
frequently  taught  and  learned  in  the  Sunday-school  in 
an  unconscious  manner.  This  is  the  reason  that  per- 
[141] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

sonality  should  be  an  object  of  such  supreme  interest 
and  attention  to  the  Sunday-school  teacher. 

The  Pupil's  Personality 

The  wise,  thoughtful,  and  sympathetic  teacher 
respects  the  personality  of  each  of  her  pupils,  his  likes, 
and  his  dislikes,  his  opinions,  and  his  possibilities.  It 
is  in  her  power  to  repress  his  personality  or  to  prevent 
it,  or  to  aid  its  natural  development  and  growth.  To 
stimulate  it,  to  guide  it,  to  direct  and  help  it,  all, 
perhaps,  without  appearing  to  do  so,  is  the  teacher's 
task.  And  this,  we  have  seen,  she  is  doing  in  a  variety 
of  ways.  To  achieve  real  success  in  Sunday-school 
teaching  one  must  make  it  and  keep  it  an  interesting 
business,  in  which  the  powers  of  the  teacher  and  the 
impulses  of  the  pupil  are  so  united  and  intermingled 
that  useful  and  vital  things  may  be  successfully  ac- 
complished. Such  teaching  should  be  morally  and 
religiously  useful  and  personally  pleasant.  This,  how- 
ever, is  an  ideal  that  is  not  for  the  careless  and 
indifferent.  Only  the  man  or  woman  who  has  the 
qualities  which  have  been  mentioned,  or  who  is  able 
to  cultivate  and  develop  such  qualities,  should  enter 
the  service  of  Sunday-school  teaching. 

To  Be  More  than  Teachers 

We  have  repeatedly  emphasized  the  fact  that  the 
ultimate  purpose  of  Sunday-school  work  is  spiritual 
and  religious.  It  has  also  been  said  that  the  best  and 
most  successful  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  are  more 
than  instructors.  They  must  be  friends  and  pastors 
to  the  pupils  whom  they  teach.  It  is,  finally,  in  this 
latter  relation  that  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  have 
the  excellent  opportunity  for  exerting  a  purely  religious 
influence,   a  part  of  teaching  which  is  of  such  vital 

[142] 


THE  TEACHER'S  PERSONALITY 

importance.  Fundamental  conditions,  as  has  already- 
been  suggested,  for  exerting  religious  influence  through 
the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  are:  genuine  consecration 
on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  and  a  sincere  personal 
interest  in  the  religious  welfare  of  those  she  teaches. 

Decision  and  *'  Decision  Day  " 

Rules  which  will  apply  universally  by  which  teachers 
can  influence  their  pupils  religiously  cannot  be  made. 
In  nearly  all  cases,  however,  the  problem  is  purely 
personal,  and  the  good  teacher  will  discover  and  use 
her  own  individual  ways.  However,  the  idea  and  the 
principle  which  underlie  the  so-called  "Decision  Day" 
can  be  used  with  gratifying  results.  This  day  should 
be  preceded  by  private  conversation  with  the  pupils, 
by  special  personal  invitation  to  participate  in  some 
form  of  the  church  service,  or  by  other  means  which 
may  suggest  themselves,  in  addition  to  the  usual  work 
of  the  class.  But  this  is  not  all;  there  must  be  some 
response  from  those  who  are  being  taught.  One  of 
the  most  important  problems  connected  with  all  forms 
of  teaching  concerns  the  value  that  should  be  attached 
to  the  effective  life.  Facts  as  such  can  have  but  little 
value  in  the  control  of  conduct.  The  great  value  of  all 
emotional  experiences  is  in  the  fact  that  new  modes 
of  behavior,  new  trains  of  thought  which  finally  result 
in  new  actions,  are  made  possible  through  the  turmoil 
which  the  emotional  experience  causes.  Sometimes 
nothing  short  of  a  mental  cataclysm  or  shock  will 
break  up  old  ways  of  doing  things  and  set  up  new  and 
more  useful  forms  of  behavior  and  conduct.  No  better 
example  can  be  given  of  the  function  of  an  emotional 
experience  in  making  way  for  new  adjustments  than 
the  religious  experience  seen  in  conversion.  This 
experience  is  always  personal  and  individual;  and  the 

[143] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

teacher  should  by  all  legitimate  means  try  to  get  her 
pupils  to  express  their  newly  aroused  emotional  or 
religious  feelings  in  some  definite  act,  for  without  this 
there  can  be  no  permanent  moral  effect.  And  one 
sure  test  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher's  success  is  her 
ability  to  lift  and  to  help  sustain  her  pupils  on  a  higher 
moral  plane.  In  certain  stages  of  their  growth  young 
people  are  especially  susceptible  to  religious  impulses 
when  they  may  be  won  to  an  active  intelligent  Christian 
life  or  as  easily  alienated  from  it.  The  intelligent 
teacher  will  avoid  the  merely  conventional  and  the 
trite  religious  exhortation  which  has  been  known  at 
this  time  to  deaden  the  youthful  religious  sensibilities. 
Real  decision  on  the  pupil's  part,  the  deep  emotional 
change  which  forms  such  a  great  epoch  in  his  life,  must 
not  be  forced.  "The  wise  teacher  will  not  only  be 
patient,  but  will  be  quick  to  seize  upon  the  moment 
thus  made  strategic  by  nature  itself." 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Angus,   Ideals   in   Sunday-school  Teaching,   The   Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

Huntington,  Unconscious  Tuition,  A.  Flanagan  Company, 
Chicago. 

Hyde,     The    Teacher's     Philosophy,     Houghton    Mifflin 
Company,  New  York. 

James,  Talks  to  Teachers,  Henry  Holt  and  Company,  New 
York. 

McMurry,  Handbook  of  Practice  for  Teachers,  The  Mac- 
millan  Company,  New  York. 

Palmer,  The  Ideal  Teacher,  Houghton  Mifflin  Company, 
New  York. 

Trumbull,  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday-school,  Charles 
Scrlbner's  Sons,  New  York. 

[144] 


THE  TEACHER'S  PERSONALITY 

Weigle,  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  George  H.  Doran 
Company,  New  York. 

Wells,  Sunday-school  Success,  F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
New  York. 

Exercises 

1.  What  rules  must  a  teacher  follow  in  order  to  be  an 
"  ideal  teacher"  ? 

2.  Should   a   teacher   in   the   Sunday-school   seek   to   be 
imitated  by  her  pupils? 

3.  What  part  of  your  experience  as  a  pupil  in  the  Sunday- 
school  had  the  greatest  influence  on  your  life? 

4.  Give    examples    of    imitation    in    the    Sunday-school 
which  have  come  under  your  observation. 

5.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  "  personality  of  the  teacher"  ? 

6.  The  qualities  mentioned  below  are  said  to  be  implied 
In  the  term  "  personality  "; 

Sympathy,  Enthusiasm, 

Personal  appearance,  Scholarship, 

Address,  Vitality, 

Sincerity,  Fairness, 

Optimism,  Reserve  and  dignity. 

After  you  have  studied  these  qualities,  tell  which  in  your 
opinion  are  the  most  Important,  and  which  the  teacher  in  the 
Sunday-school  needs  most  to  cultivate.  Would  you  add  to 
the  list?     If  so,  what? 

7.  What  effect  does  a  moody  teacher  have  on  her  pupils? 
A  teacher  of  violent  temper? 

8.  What  Is  the  objection  to  saying  "  Don't  "  to  young 
children  ?     What  Is  a  better  way  to  teach  them  ? 

9.  What  is  the  first  lesson  in  religion  that  a  child  should  be 
taught? 


[145] 


CHAPTER  XI 
Jesus  as  a  Teacher 

A  Master  of  the  Art 

Almost  every  principle  of  teaching  which  has  been 
considered  in  the  preceding  chapters  may  be  illustrated 
from  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  His  method  of  teaching 
was  natural,  easily  adapted  to  the  circumstances  and 
conditions  under  which  he  taught,  and  his  teaching 
was  "universal  in  its  truth  and  eternal  in  its  appeal." 
Moreover,  his  method  was  ideal,  ideal  because  it  was 
natural.  The  manner  by  which  he  prepared  the  minds 
of  his  hearers  for  the  truth  which  he  sought  to  teach, 
and  by  which  he  sought  to  get  his  hearers  curious  and 
anxious  at  the  beginning  to  see  the  very  thing  which 
he  sought  to  convey  to  them,  is  characteristic  of  all 
great  teachers.  Jesus  always  got  "a  point  of  contact," 
whether  he  taught  the  multitudes,  the  woman  of 
Samaria  at  Jacob's  well,  or  the  young  man  who  had 
great  possessions.  He  knew  how  to  stir  the  emotions 
of  his  hearers  and  to  get  their  minds  active.  In  doing 
this  he  always  presented  some  concrete  fact  or  situation 
which  involved  an  issue. 

His  Method  Illustrated 

Notice  the  story  of  the  creditor  and  his  two  debtors, 
and  the  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan. 

When  Jesus  was  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee, 
a  sinful  woman  came  and  bathed  his  feet  with  her  tears 
and  wiped  them  with  her  hair.  Simon  seemed  as- 
tonished and  questioned  the  prophetic  powers  of  Jesus, 
who  said  to  him: 

[146] 


JESUS   AS  A  TEACHER 

"  Simon,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  to  thee  .  .  .  There  was 
a  certain  creditor  which  had  two  debtors:  the  one  owed  five 
hundred  pence,  and  the  other  fifty.  And  when  they  had 
nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  forgave  them  both.  Tell  me 
therefore,  which  of  them  will  love  him  most.?  Simon  answered 
and  said,  I  suppose  that  he,  to  whom  he  forgave  most. 
And  he  said  unto  him,  thou  hast  rightly  judged." 

Continuing  to  make  clear  the  principle  involved, 
Jesus  turned  to  the  woman  and  said  to  Simon: 

"  Seest  thou  this  woman.?  I  entered  into  thine  house, 
thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet:  but  she  hath  washed 
my  feet  with  tears,  and  wiped  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head. 
Thou  gavest  me  no  kiss:  but  this  woman  since  the  time  I 
came  in  hath  not  ceased  to  kiss  my  feet.  My  head  with  oil 
thou  didst  not  anoint;  but  this  woman  hath  anointed  my 
feet  with  ointment.  Wherefore  I  say  unto  thee,  her  sins 
which  are  many  are  forgiven;  for  she  loved  much:  but  to 
whom  little  is  forgiven,  the  same  loveth  little." 

The  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan  reveals  many 
excellent  principles  of  teaching: 

"  And,  behold,  a  certain  lawyer  stood  up,  and  tempted 
him,  saying,  master,  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life.? 
He  said  unto  him,  what  is  written  in  the  law.?  how  readest 
thou.?  And  he  answering  said,  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind;  and 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  And  he  said  unto  him,  thou 
hast  answered  right:  this  do,  and  thou  shalt  live.  But 
he,  willing  to  justify  himself,  said  unto  Jesus,  and  who 
is  my  neighbor.? 

"  And  Jesus  answering  said,  a  certain  man  went  down 
from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  and  fell  among  thieves,  which 
stripped  him  of  his  raiment,  and  wounded  him,  and  departed, 
leaving  him  half  dead.  And  by  chance  there  came  down  a 
certain  priest  that  way:  and  when  he  saw  him,  he  passed  by 
on  the  other  side.  And  likewise  a  Levite,  when  he  was  at  the 
place,  came  and  looked  on  him,  and  passed  by  on  the  other 
side.     But  a  certain  Samaritan,  as  he  journeyed,  came  where 

[147] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

he  was:  and  when  he  saw  him,  he  had  compassion  on  him. 
And  went  to  him,  and  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring  in  oil 
and  wine,  and  set  him  on  his  own  beast,  and  brought  him  to 
an  inn  and  took  care  of  him.  And  on  the  morrow  when  he 
departed,  he  took  out  two  pence,  and  gave  them  to  the  host, 
and  said  unto  him,  take  care  of  him:  and  whatsoever  thou 
spendest  more,  when  I  come  again,  I  will  repay  thee.  Which 
now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbor  unto  him 
that  fell  among  the  thieves.^  And  he  said,  he  that  showed 
mercy  on  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him,  go,  and  do  thou 
likewise." 

The  first  story  shows  how  well  Jesus  used  concrete 
illustrations  to  convey  meanings  to  the  man  whom  he 
wished  to  teach  a  lesson.  It  is  also  to  be  noticed  that 
the  story  and  lesson  are  well  in  range  of  the  experience 
of  his  pupil.  But  when  Jesus  had  finished  telling  the 
brief,  simple,  but  pointed  story,  he  gives  it  an  appli- 
cation which  was  far  from  moralizing:  "Wherefore  I 
say  unto  thee,  her  sins  which  are  many  are  forgiven; 
for  she  loved  much:  but  to  whom  little  is  forgiven,  the 
same  loveth  little." 

Further  illustrations  of  the  principles  of  teaching  are 
seen  in  the  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  It  shows  the 
form  of  a  good  story;  it  shows  how  Jesus  got  a  "point 
of  contact"  with  his  pupil,  the  lawyer;  it  illustrates 
the  steps  of  "preparation"  of  the  mind  of  the  pupil 
for  the  lesson  material,  the  "presentation"  of  the 
lesson,  and  the  "generalization"  or  conclusion  of  the 
lesson.  Several  good  questions  are  found  in  the  story 
also. 

1.  Jesus's  ability  as  a  story-teller  is  splendidly 
illustrated  here.  In  fact  the  Gospels  are  full  of  this 
excellent  method  of  teaching,  a  method  which  cannot 
be  excelled  with  children  from  four  to  fourteen,  and 
which  is  very  eiTective  with  older  people.  The  present 
one,  like  all  the  stories  which  Jesus  told,  is  simple, 

[148] 


JESUS  AS  A  TEACHER 

short,  full  of  action,  and  to  the  point.  Granted  a  point 
of  contact,  a  good  story,  wherever  found,  is  one  which 
deals  with  action,  has  unity  and  continuity,  embodies 
a  moral  or  spiritual  truth  which  is  to  be  taught,  and 
develops  gradually  from  point  to  point  until  it  reaches 
a  climax.  It  does  not  carry  a  moral  "tacked"  on  at 
the  end,  because  moralizing  spoils  any  story.  The 
present  one  meets  all  the  requirements  of  a  good  story: 
it  develops  gradually,  takes  account  only  of  the  essen- 
tials, and  instead  of  putting  a  moral  at  the  end,  Jesus 
says:  "Which  now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was 
neighbor  unto  him  that  fell  among  the  thieves.^  .  .  . 
Go,  and  do  thou  likewise."  This  is  not  a  moral 
"tacked"  on.  Compare  the  strength  of  this  story 
and  the  method  used  in  telling  it  with  stories  and  their 
application  which  we  often  hear. 

2.  The  principle  of  preparation  of  the  mind  of  the 
pupil  is  also  seen  here.  The  mind  of  the  lawyer-pupil 
appears  immediately  awakened  and  his  emotions  seem 
stirred  by  the  questions  "What  is  written  in  the  law.^ 
how  readest  thou.^"  which  Jesus  asked  of  him  who 
wished  to  know  how  to  inherit  eternal  life.  This  is 
Jesus's  method  in  this  particular  case  of  "getting  a 
point  of  contact"  necessary  to  teach  the  needed  lesson. 
It  will  be  seen  that  Jesus  did  not  have  to  create  interest: 
the  lawyer  is  already  interested  in  something."  The 
teacher  does  not  have  to  create  but  to  develop  interest. 
Jesus  begins,  therefore,  with  his  pupil's  present  in- 
terests, and  through  these  he  seeks  to  teach.  Notice 
also  that  Jesus  did  not  attempt  to  give  his  pupil  any 
new  ideas;  a  working  over  of  his  old  ones  is  what  the 
lawyer  here  needs,  and  in  getting  this  done,  Jesus 
finally  provoked  from  his  pupil  the  vital,  "pivotal" 
question,  "And  who  is  my  neighbor.^"  Ability  to 
make  the  pupil  name  and  define  the  very  thing  which 
[149] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

the  teacher  wishes  the  pupil  to  see  is  a  primary  mark 
of  good  teaching.  And  this  is  just  what  Jesus  does  in 
his  "preparation"  of  the  pupil's  mind  for  the  lesson 
material. 

3.  The  method  which  Jesus  here  uses  in  presenting 
the  lesson  to  his  pupil  is  known  as  the  story-telling 
method.  Jesus  was  not  a  lecturer.  He  told  stories, 
used  illustrations,  cited  concrete  cases  of  the  principles 
he  wished  to  teach,  and  sought  to  illustrate  the  principal 
thought  of  the  lesson.  His  teaching  in  the  present  case 
is  simple,  direct,  and  easy  to  understand.  He  unfolds 
the  lesson  material  to  the  mind  of  the  lawyer  in  lan- 
guage so  simple  that  a  child  could  understand:  "A 
man  was  one  day  traveling  along  a  lonely  road  when 
he  was  attacked  by  thieves  who  left  him  wounded  and 
half  dead.  A  priest  came  by,  glanced  at  the  un- 
fortunate man,  but  passed  on  without  helping  him. 
A  Levite  did  the  same  thing.  But  a  Samaritan  passing 
by  had  compassion  on  the  traveler  and  showed  him 
mercy.  Which  one  of  these  men  was  kind  enough 
to  be  called  the  traveler's  neighbor.^"  The  pupil  is 
thus  led  to  see  the  central  truth  of  the  lesson  he  is 
learning. 

4.  The  "generalization"  or  conclusion  stands  out 
as  the  climax  of  the  moral  truth  in  the  story.  But 
Jesus  lets  his  pupil  reach  it  for  himself;  the  lawyer  is 
led  to  name  and  define  the  very  truth  to  which  Jesus 
wishes  to  draw  attention.  It  has  already  been  pointed 
out  that  the  conclusion  of  a  pupil,  or  his  statement  of 
the  point  of  the  lesson,  if  the  lesson  has  been  properly 
taught,  will  be  the  same  idea  or  truth  which  the  teacher 
wishes  to  teach,  or  the  aim  which  she  chose  for  herself. 
In  this  case  Jesus  wishes  to  teach  neighborliness. 
"Who  is  my  neighbor.^"  is  the  central  thought,  and 
this  the  pupil  and  not  the  teacher  asks.     The  generali- 

[150] 


JESUS  AS  A  TEACHER 

zation  or  conclusion  follows  naturally:  "Which  now 
of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbor  unto  him 
that  fell  among  the  thieves?  .  .  .  Go,  and  do  thou 
likewise."     And  this  is  not  a  moral. 

5.  It  has  already  been  shown  that  Jesus  does  not 
in  the  present  lesson  ask  the  "pivotal"  question  himself 
but  that  the  pupil  does  it:  "And  who  is  my  neighbor.^" 
Ability  to  stimulate  and  provoke  a  question  of  this 
kind,  around  which  the  entire  lesson  material  clusters, 
is  evidence  of  genuine  teaching  ability.  Notice  how 
Jesus  does  it.  He  seems  about  ready  to  conclude  with 
"This  do,  and  thou  shalt  live,"  when  the  lawyer-pupil, 
whose  emotions  have  been  stirred  and  whose  mind  is 
now  fully  awakened,  asks  "And  who  is  my  neighbor?" 
Another  splendid  question  in  the  lesson  is  the  one  which 
Jesus  asked  when  he  had  concluded  his  story:  "Which 
now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbor  unto 
him  that  fell  among  the  thieves?"  Both  of  these 
questions  meet  the  requirements  of  good  questions 
discussed  in  Chapter  VHI. 

Further  Illustrations  from  His  Parables 

The  following  parables  are  further  illustrations  of  the 
principles  which  we  have  been  considering.  Note  the 
absence  of  the  abstract,  the  presence  of  the  concrete, 
and  how  Jesus  appealed  to  both  the  eye  and  the  ear, 
thus  making  a  double  impression.  The  teacher  in 
the  Sunday-school,  especially  the  teacher  of  children 
from  four  to  fourteen  years  of  age,  could  profit  by  a 
thorough  study  of  the  parables  of  Jesus,  with  a  view 
to  learning  something  of  his  excellent  method  of 
teaching: 

"  And  great  multitudes  were  gathered  together  unto  him, 
so  that  he  went  into  a  ship,  and  sat;  and  the  whole  multitude 

[151] 


SOME   PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

sat  on  the  shore.  And  he  spake  many  things  unto  them  in 
parables,  saying,  behold  a  sower  went  forth  to  sow;  and 
when  he  sowed,  some  seeds  fell  by  the  wayside,  and  the 
fowls  came  and  devoured  them  up:  some  fell  upon  stony 
places,  where  they  had  not  much  earth:  and  forthwith 
they  sprung  up,  because  they  had  no  deepness  of  earth: 
and  when  the  sun  was  up,  they  were  scorched,  and  because 
they  had  no  root,  they  withered  away.  And  some  fell 
among  thorns;  and  the  thorns  sprung  up,  and  choked  them. 
But  some  fell  into  good  ground,  and  brought  forth  fruit, 
some  an  hundredfold,  some  sixtyfold,  some  thirtyfold  .  .  . 

"  Hear  ye  therefore  the  parable  of  the  sower.  When  any 
one  heareth  the  word  of  the  kingdom,  and  understandeth  it 
not,  then  cometh  the  wicked  one,  and  catcheth  away  that 
which  was  sown  in  his  heart.  This  is  he  which  received  seed 
by  the  way  side.  But  he  that  received  the  seed  in  stony 
places,  the  same  is  he  that  heareth  the  word,  and  anon  with 
joy  receiveth  it;  yet  hath  he  not  root  in  himself,  and  dureth 
for  a  while;  for  when  tribulation  or  persecution  ariseth 
because  of  the  word,  by  and  by  he  is  offended.  He  also  that 
received  seed  among  the  thorns  is  he  that  heareth  the  word: 
and  the  care  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches, 
choke  the  word,  and  he  becometh  unfruitful.  But  he  that 
received  seed  into  the  good  ground  is  he  that  heareth  the  word, 
and  understandeth  it;  which  also  beareth  fruit,  and  bringeth 
forth,  some  an  hundredfold,  some  sixty,  some  thirty. 

"  Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying,  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  unto  a  man  which  sowed  good 
seed  in  his  field;  but  while  men  slept,  his  enemy  came  and 
sowed  tares  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his  way.  But  when 
the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  then  ap- 
peared the  tares  also.  So  the  servants  of  the  householder 
came  and  said  unto  him,  sir,  didst  thou  not  sow  good  seed  in 
thy  field .^  from  whence  then  hath  it  tares?  He  said  unto 
them,  an  enemy  hath  done  this.  The  servants  said  unto 
him,  wilt  thou  then  that  we  go  and  gather  them  up.?  But  he 
said,  nay;  lest  while  ye  gather  up  the  tares,  ye  root  up  also 
the  wheat  with  them.  Let  both  grow  together  until  the 
harvest:  and  in  the  time  of  harvest  I  will  say  to  the  reapers, 
gather  ye  together  first  the  tares,  and  bind  them  in  bundles 
to  burn  them:  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn. 

"  Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying,  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  a 

[152] 


JESUS  AS   A  TEACHER 

man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field:  which  indeed  is  the  least  of 
all  seeds;  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  the  greatest  among  herbs, 
and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come  and 
lodge  in  the  branches  thereof. 

"  Another  parable  spake  he  unto  them;  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  unto  leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in 
three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened.  .  .  . 

"  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  treasure  hid 
in  a  field;  the  which  when  a  man  hath  found,  he  hideth  and 
for  joy  thereof  goeth  and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth 
that  field. 

"  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  merchant 
man,  seeking  goodly  pearls:  who,  when  he  had  found  one 
pearl  of  great  price,  went  and  sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought 
it. 

"  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net,  that  was 
cast  into  the  sea,  and  gathered  of  every  kind:  which,  when  it 
was  full,  they  drew  to  the  shore,  and  sat  down,  and  gathered 
the  good  into  vessels,  but  cast  the  bad  away.  So  shall  it  be 
at  the  end  of  the  world:  the  angels  shall  come  forth,  and 
sever  the  wicked  from  among  the  just,  and  shall  cast  them 
into  the  furnace  of  fire:  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing 
of  teeth." 


These  stories  show  his  method  as  a  teacher.  His 
teaching  here  moves,  as  it  does  in  every  case,  upon  the 
plane  of  the  experience  of  those  who  listened  to  him. 
His  illustrations,  too,  are  taken  from  the  common  life 
of  the  people;  they  were  those  things  which  were 
happening  every  day.  How  much  more  definite  and 
concrete  could  teaching  be  than  this  is.^  The  symbols 
and  objects  here  used  illustrate  the  ideas  and  the 
truths  which  Jesus  sought  to  teach.  He  spoke  freely 
of  the  field,  of  the  ground,  of  the  seed,  the  wheat,  the 
thorns,  the  trees,  the  vineyard,  the  laborers,  the  sea, 
the  fishermen,  the  net,  the  fishes,  the  merchant's  goods, 
the  habits  of  the  house-wife,  and  of  many  other  things 
which  helped  to  convey  the  meaning  which  he  sought 
to  give  to  his  lessons. 

[153] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES   OF  TEACHING 

Notice  how  vivid  is  the  following: 

"  If  a  son  shall  ask  bread  of  any  that  is  a  father,  will  he 
give  him  a  stone?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give 
him  a  serpent?  Or  if  he  shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a 
scorpion?" 

Jesus  as  a  Questioner 

Several  of  the  principles  of  teaching  have  already 
been  illustrated  from  the  parables  and  teachings  of 
Jesus.  Many  others  might  be  found.  His  ability  as 
a  questioner,  already  mentioned,  may  be  further 
illustrated.  We  found  in  Chapter  VIII  that  a  good 
question  is  one  which  stirs  the  emotions,  provokes 
thought,  and  stimulates  mental  activity.  This  is  a 
striking  characteristic  of  practically  all  of  Jesus's 
questions.     Study  the  following: 

"Whom  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  man  am?  And 
they  said,  some  say  that  thou  art  John  the  Baptist:  some, 
Elias;  and  others,  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets.  He 
said  unto  them,  but  whom  say  ye  that  I  am?  " 

"  What  man  shall  there  be  among  you,  that  shall  have  one 
sheep,  and  if  it  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  sabbath  day,  will  he  not 
lay  hold  on  it  and  lift  it  out?  How  much  then  is  a  man  better 
than  a  sheep?  " 

"  What  man  of  you,  having  an  hundred  sheep,  if  he  lose 
one  of  them,  doth  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  go  after  that  which  is  lost,  until  he  find  it?  " 

When  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees  to  whom  Jesus  directed 
the  question,  "  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  sabbath  day?  " 
"  held  their  peace  "  and  answered  nothing,  Jesus  said: 
"Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fallen  into  a  pit,  and 
will  not  straightway  pull  him  out  on  the  sabbath  day?  " 

A  popular  method  of  Jesus  was  to  ask  a  question  in 
answer  to  one  put  to  him: 

"Tell  us  by  what  authority  doest  thou  these  things?  or 
who  is  he  that  gave  thee  this  authority?  And  he  answered 
and  said  unto  them,  I  will  also  ask  you  one  thing;  and  answer 

[154] 


JESUS   AS   A  TEACHER 

me:  the  baptism  of  John,  was  it  from  heaven,  or  of  men? 
.  And  they  answered,  that  they  could  not  tell  whence  it 
was.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  neither  tell  I  you  by  what 
authority  I  do  these  things.  Then  began  he  to  speak  to  the 
people  this  parable." 

"  Is  it  lawful  for  us  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  or  no.?  But 
he  perceived  their  craftiness,  and  said  unto  them,  why  tempt 
ye  me.?  Show  me  a  penny.  Whose  image  and  superscrip- 
tion hath  it.?  They  answered  and  said,  Caesar's.  And  he 
said  unto  them,  render  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  which 
be  Caesar's,  and  unto  God  the  things  which  be  God's." 

The  Secret  of  His  Ability  as  a  Teacher 

In  a  short  chapter  like  this  it  is  well  nigh  impossible 
to  give  an  adequate  treatment  of  the  methods  which 
Jesus  used  as  a  teacher.     And  an  attempted  explanation 
of  this  ability  is  not  here  necessary.     Sunday-school 
teachers  do  not  need  descriptions  of  his  methods  of 
teaching  so  much  as  they  need  a  knowledge  of  first- 
hand acquaintance  with  the  methods  themselves,  which 
will  come  through  a  systematic  and  thorough  study 
of  those   methods.     A    knowledge   of   his    personality 
and  character  is   also   a   great  asset  to  the   Sunday- 
school  teacher,  and  this  can  be  had  in  no  other  way. 
It  is  in  this  character  and  personality  that  we  find  an 
explanation  of  his  secret  as  a  great  teacher.     Every- 
where he  is  represented  as  a  teacher  of  truth.     When 
he  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  feast  of  the  tabernacles 
"he  went  up  into  the  temple  and  taught."     The  Jews 
seemed  astonished  and  said,  "How  knoweth  this  man 
letters,  having  never  learned?     Jesus  answered  them, 
and  said,  my  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent 
me."     This   is   explanation   enough   of  his   ability   to 
teach;  he  knew  the  truth  which  he  was  to  teach;  he 
knew  men,  human  nature  in  all  its  aspects,  and  the 
needs  of  all  classes.     This  knowledge  of  human  nature, 
his   ability  to  see  its  needs  and  to  adapt  the  truth 

[155] 


SOME  PRINCIPLES  OF  TEACHING 

which  he  was  teaching  to  these  needs,  are  some  of  the 
things  which  help  to  explain  his  teaching  ability.  But 
this  is  not  all.  The  great  secret  of  his  ability  lay  in  his 
personality.  He  was  the  very  embodiment  of  all 
that  he  taught;  he  was  the  ideal  which  he  taught  to  his 
disciples,  to  the  multitudes,  or  to  the  man  who  sought 
him  in  secret.  Moreover,  Jesus  had  faith  in  his  mission 
as  a  teacher  and  as  a  leader  of  men.  He  had  faith  in 
the  work  which  he  was  doing.  He  had  faith  in  men, 
in  their  eternal  worth  and  the  possibility  of  their 
improvement,  and  through  this  improvement  the 
advancement  and  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  The  lessons  which  the  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  can  learn  from  his  life  and  teachings  are  now 
obvious.  A  teacher  must  know  the  truth  which  she 
is  to  teach;  she  must  know  whom  she  is  to  teach,  their 
needs,  the  fundamental  differences  in  their  tempera- 
ments, and  how  to  adapt  the  truth  to  their  needs.  She 
must  be  consecrated,  full  of  faith  in  her  work,  and  in 
those  whom  she  teaches.  Without  these  qualifications 
and  qualities  there  can  be  no  teaching  success. 

SUGGESTIONS   FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

Books 

Bruce,  The  Parabolic  Teaching  of  Christ,  Armstrong  and 
Son,  New  York. 

Bruce,  The  Training  of  the  Twelve,  Armstrong  and  Son, 
New  York. 

Haslett,  The  Pedagogical  Bible  School,  F.  H.  Revell 
Company,  New  York. 

Hinsdale,  Jesus  As  a  Teacher,  Christian  Publishing  Com- 
pany, St.  Louis. 

Huntington,  Unconscious  Tuition,  A.  Flanagan  Company, 
Chicago. 

Taylor,  The  Parables  of  Our  Savior,  Armstrong  and  Son, 
New  York. 

The  Teachings  of  Jesus  in  the  Gospels. 

[156] 


JESUS  AS  A  TEACHER 

Trumbull,  Teaching  and  Teachers,  Charles  Scribner's 
Sons,  New  York. 

Trumbull,  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday-school,  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Exercises 

1.  Select  from  the  teachings  of  Jesus  other  examples  of 
good  questions. 

2.  Study  the  teachings  of  Jesus  for  examples  of  his  knowl- 
edge of  children. 

3.  Make  a  thorough  study  of  the  life  of  Jesus  from  the 
point  of  view  taken  in  this  chapter,  that  of  the  Ideal  Teacher. 

4.  Make  a  study  of  the  parables  of  Jesus  and  show  how 
they  meet  the  requirements  of  good  stories. 

5.  Study  the  illustrations  which  Jesus  used  and  note  the 
great  variety  of  them  and  how  they  were  taken  from  the 
common  happenings  of  life. 

6.  Study  the  Gospels  with  a  view  to  finding  evidence  of 
Jesus's  knowledge  of  human  nature  and  of  human  needs. 

7.  Find  evidences  from  the  same  source  of  Jesus's  faith  in 
human  nature. 

8.  What  substitute  for  "  moralizing  "  did  Jesus  use  when 
he  had  finished  a  story  or  parable.? 


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